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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24936085">Safe and Sound</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pangirl_Fangirl/pseuds/Pangirl_Fangirl'>Pangirl_Fangirl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Arrow (TV 2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bratva AU, Bratva Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Bratva men are trash, Eventual Smut, F/M, I will do my best to have warnings at the start of chapters that have possibly triggering content, Protective Oliver, Slow Burn (ish), badass Felicity, except Oliver, insinuation of sexual assualt, insinuation of violence, it will take a while to get there but once we do there will be a lot, lots of yearning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 07:02:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>53,320</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24936085</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pangirl_Fangirl/pseuds/Pangirl_Fangirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Story Redo! (See first chapter notes for more explanation)<br/>***<br/>Bratva AU!<br/>After the death of her husband, Donna Smoak sends her daughter to live with a notorious Bratva Captain, and her daughter is less than pleased. Felicity can't get a straight answer from anyone about why she was now living at the Queen Mansion and though it has its ups, like Thea Queen, John Diggle, and Felicity's new bodyguard Roy Harper, there are definitely some downs.</p><p>Like almost being killed and the hot and cold Mr. Oliver Queen.</p><p>When Felicity realizes that she will be staying in the mansion for the foreseeable future, she decides to not only find the people trying to kill her but also try and figure out the mystery that is Bratva Captain Oliver Queen.</p><p>And she really hates mysteries.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Diggle/Lyla Michaels, Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak, Roy Harper/Thea Queen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>134</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>268</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. For the First Time in Forever</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>*IMPORTANT*<br/>Hello! It’s been awhile!<br/>Welcome to the Safe and Sound Redo.<br/>For some this may be your first time reading this series, in that case, welcome! For others you may be joining from my first attempt at this series, welcome back! I’m so glad you stuck around! </p><p>Let me explain myself a little. I know what it’s like to have a favourite story abandoned by an author or put on an indefinite hiatus, which is part of the reason why I wanted to continue this fic. I also, somehow, still get kudos and comments on my first attempt which fills me with such happiness I can’t tell you.</p><p>Now I know you’re probably wondering, “Addie, why start over?” Great question.<br/>The short version?<br/>While I know people liked my story and my writing, upon rereading Safe and Sound, I found myself not liking it. And cringing. And finding it glaringly obvious that I wrote it as a teen who never experienced a shred of romance or passion in her life and based too much of her writing on “bad boys” from TV who are really problematic assholes in reality who don’t respect boundaries. SO I wanted to do better for myself, for the concept and plot and characters, and for you! The readers!</p><p>So, how will this work? The first 15 chapters of this redo will be “mostly” the same as my first Safe and Sound (I use quotations because as I write this I’m sure I’ll redo whole chapters). I’ll stick with the timeline/plan I had for myself (I’m very glad I wrote some stuff down because I cannot tell you where this story was going off the top of my head). Moving forward I will be focusing more on inner dialogue of the characters, making sure you guys get to know them, and most importantly I’m switching out the cringey, boundary ignoring, act first-ask second version of Oliver I had, and I’m replacing it with intensity, respectfulness and good old fashion yearning!<br/>That’s right!<br/>Stares from across the room!<br/>Subtle hand touches!<br/>Weighted conversations!<br/>Moments where Oliver is kind to only Felicity! Situations where they accidentally get physically close and you can cut the tension with a knife! This love is supposed to be guarded but soft, and that’s what I’m gonna do.</p><p>I feel as though I owe it to all of you and to myself to do better this time. The first 15 chapters should be posted fairly regularly since they’re mostly written. It’s that last half that’s spotty, but I’m committed! Especially since chapter 16 was gonna be the sex chapter and I’ve left some of you hanging for (oh god) like 4 years.</p><p>Don’t worry, for those who liked the first version, I’m leaving it up despite my dislike of it because I know some of you might still like to read it. Just be aware I’ve abandoned that version, it will never be updated.<br/>Anyways, thank you so much for being here, either newcomers, or old friends, I can’t express how much I appreciate it.</p><p>Without further ado, the new, and improved, Safe and Sound!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thea was excited. She actually believed that she was so excited that she might explode.</p><p>Thea had spent her whole life living with people watching her, telling her where to go and when to do things, never really allowed out of the house and never really allowed to have any friends because her family didn't trust anyone outside the Bratva. But she was finally-<em>finally</em>-going to have a friend. Well, she hoped that the new girl coming to live with them would become her friend. Thea was talking all of this over with Raisa as she was making preparations for dinner.</p><p>"I can't wait to meet her! I wonder what she's like, and if she'll like me. Do you think she'll like me Raisa?" The older woman didn't even bother to open her mouth knowing the youngest Queen wasn't going to give her time to answer, so she just continued to prep for their dinner. "It would be super awkward if she didn’t like me, after all, I am the only other girl in the house so we should at least try to get along. Tommy told me that she probably doesn't want to be here to in the first place and that she's being forced to live here, although I don’t why. No one in this house ever tells me anything.” Thea sighed while reaching across the kitchen island to grab a few grapes from the fruit bowl. She popped one into her mouth and spoke while chewing.</p><p>“But don't worry Raisa, I'm sure that you and I will make her feel very welcome." Thea smiled as she reached for a chopped carrot piece, only to have Raisa smack her hand before she could grab it.</p><p>“That is for dinner and for the guests.” Raisa scolded Thea but she smiled as she said it. Since they were getting a new guest, several other members of the Bratva were coming to eat dinner, to welcome her and make her feel more at home. It was also an excuse to have some of the men come and speak with Oliver.</p><p>"I love having people over, even though they barely ever talk to me. I just like the atmosphere, you know? I feel safe when I'm surrounded by people and I'm sure the new girl will like to meet everyone at once. Of course, she'll see them at the end of the week when we hold that party for her. We can finally get some use out of our ballroom. I mean, what's the point in having a ballroom if we don't ever use it? I don't understand why I can't use it once and a while but Ollie never lets me inside. What's his problem with the ballroom anyway?" Thea stared intently at her caretaker and Raisa saw that Thea was honestly asking her opinion.</p><p>"I believe that Mr. Oliver knows what is best for you, even when you do not." Thea sighed and rolled her eyes, slumping against the back of her chair.</p><p>"That sounds like a tape recording of Ollie. <em>I know what's best for you, I'm your older brother, what I say goes.</em>" Thea mimicked in a deep voice. Raisa shook her head and waved a dish towel at Thea.</p><p>"Go on Miss. Thea, our newcomer will be here soon and you do not want to miss her arrival." Thea checked her watch and leapt off the barstool.</p><p>"Shit, she'll be here any minute! Thanks Raisa!" Thea snatched the carrot she tried to grab earlier and ate it as she ran out of the kitchen, while Raisa yelled in Russian at her back. Thea took a shortcut up the back staircase which lead her to the small secluded hallway that held the bedrooms of Raisa and Carson, who was, for lack of a better word, their butler. She exited the hallway and into a bigger one that branched off into the rest of the house. She passed by a window and saw some of her brothers men setting things up and getting ready for the new girls arrival. The lawn was done being mowed and several potted plants were being placed along the perimeter of the roundabout. </p><p>
  <em>Trying to liven up the place I see.</em>
</p><p>Thea stared out the window until she saw who she wanted to see.</p><p>Roy Harper, Bratva Bodyguard.</p><p>He was lower in the ranks in terms of bodyguards at the Queen Mansion but because he was living in a Captains house, he was given a lot of respect. He was going to be the bodyguard of the new girl and this was going to be his first job at the mansion. Thea had already taken a liking to him and she would admit, from what she's seen from him, a bit of a crush. He was handsome, and very loyal to her brother. It was the reason he was transferred up to the house. Well that, and he saved Thea’s life which Ollie was forever, eternally grateful for. Roy’s work ethic and skill was so impeccable that higher ranking members of the Bratva kept wanting him to work for them. Oliver snatched him up as soon as he had an opening and now Roy was a new, permanent fixture in her household.</p><p>At that moment Roy looked up to see Thea watching him from the window. She smiled and raised her hand as a sort of wave. She saw the corners of his mouth tug upwards and Thea took that as a win. Roy tried to never smile when he was in work mode and she liked that she was able to break his resolve, even the slightest bit. The men all began to move back into the house. Thea stared out the window a little longer until something moved up at the end of the drive. She dragged her eyes up to see a black car driving through the front gates.</p><p>"She's here!" Thea yelled, jumping up excitedly. She turned on her heel and sped towards the direction of the front door, ecstatic about meeting her new friend.</p><p> </p><p>Felicity was upset. She was so upset, she might explode.</p><p>Not even forty-eight hours after the death of her father, Felicity was in a car and being shipped off to live with strangers. Her mother sat beside her in the car, the two of them looking almost identical, in black dresses with their blonde hair tied back. Felicity refused to look at her mother, even though she had a suspicion that it wasn't her fault that Felicity was moving. She just really wished her mother would stop lying to her about her reasons for being forced to live somewhere else. Felicity didn't know the real reason she was being sent away but she sure as hell knew it had nothing to do with preparations for her fathers funeral, which was the reason her mother gave her. She knew that was a complete lie because in what world did the preparation of a funeral constitute moving your daughter a few miles out of town? Absolutely none. Donna insisted that Felicity would only stay at the Queen Mansion for one or two days, then everything would be back to normal, but Felicity had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that warned her that wouldn’t end up being the case. She was worried she'd never leave the Queen Manor.</p><p>The car pulled through the gates of the Queen Mansion and Felicity was almost taken away with the view. </p><p>Almost. </p><p>It was larger than her home, however Felicity had been in the home of Anatoly Knyazev and he had the largest house of all. Not that size mattered to Felicity, she preferred the outdoors, having spent most of her life indoors as most children of Bratva members do. It’s hard to make friends when the only people you can hang with are the children of other Bratva members who are just as socially stunted as you are, since the paranoia of most members causes them to put their kids under lock and key.</p><p>The car made the slow trek up the gravel driveway, the clear sky a contrast to Felicity's current mood. When the car came to a stop, the driver exited and rounded the car, opening the door for Felicity. She climbed out and craned her neck upward to look at the massively old building. Donna Smoak came to stand beside her daughter, both standing silently for a moment while the driver collected Felicity's things.</p><p>"This is for the best,  дорогой (Darling).” Felicity moved her hand out of her mother’s comforting reach. Donna sighed at the cold shoulder she was receiving. “You have to be careful. You have a big heart and I know you come to trust people too easily and that can be dangerous Felicity."</p><p>"I thought I wasn't staying here long.” Felicity challenged her mother, whipping her head to look at her, her ponytail swinging. “If I'm only here for a day or so, I doubt that I'll come to trust them that quickly. However, why shouldn't I trust them? Bratva before blood, remember?" Felicity said coldly. Donna sighed again and looked down at her hands, twisting her wedding ring in a nervous tick. Felicity’s frustration soured in her mouth as she watched her mother. They had both lost her father. Donna lost the man she loved and Felicity lost the one person in the world who truly understood her.</p><p>"You need to be a good girl and do as they tell you. They can't know how fragile you really are. You make one wrong move and everyone will know." The comment about Felicity’s fragility brought her cold shoulder back, tenfold.</p><p>"Don't trust them, do as they say, don't let them know you get anxiety attacks, it makes you weak," Felicity mocked her mothers instructions, nodding sharply. “Got it."</p><p>"This is serious Felicity,"</p><p>"Is it mother?” Felicity spun to fully face her. “I thought I was just sleeping over while you got fathers funeral planned out?" Felicity raised a challenging eyebrow at her mother, trying to see if she would crack under pressure and tell Felicity why she was really staying with the Queen family.</p><p>"You are," Her mother said with a tight smile. "Just a day or so." Felicity shook her head in disbelief at the lies she was telling her. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from her mother as she went in for a cheek kiss to say goodbye.</p><p>"I'll see you then, goodbye mother." Felicity commented, shirking her mother’s affection. Donna looked hesitant but finally leaned forward and place a kiss to the side of Felicity's head.</p><p>"Goodbye дорогой. Оставайтесь в безопасности. (Darling. Stay safe.) She mumbled into her hair. Felicity's mother got back into the car and Felicity stubbornly didn’t turn around to watch the car drive away and out the gates. </p><p>Felicity stood a few meters away from the front doors of the Queen Mansion with her leather suitcase at her feet. She picked it up and was about to step towards the door when something caught her eye. Felicity turned to the right and saw a rabbit hopping by the hedge beside the house. Felicity smiled at the furry creature as it made it's way up the driveway and through an opening in the hedges, that Felicity assumed lead you to the backyard. She was immediately mesmerized by the little critter and decided to follow it. Felicity set her suitcase on the ground and made her way through the opening. She was so distracted that she didn't hear a man call out her name.</p><p> </p><p>Roy had exited the mansion and was going to greet Felicity but, to his surprise and slight panic, found her nowhere in sight.</p><p>"Miss. Smoak?" He called out. He stepped fully into the driveway and looked around until he caught a glimpse of her enter at the entrance to the backyard. Roy picked up her discarded suitcase as he passed by it and followed her, doing his job. "Miss. Smoak?" Roy called out again but realized she was too far away to hear him.</p><p> </p><p>Felicity lost sight of the rabbit as she made her way into a large open piece of land. She had to walk a little further until she was no longer walking beside the house and stopped at the end of a gradually descending hill. The lawn began to lower from where she stood and the hill ended near a body of water. There were several pool houses and gazebos but Felicity couldn't care less. She couldn't remember the last time she saw an expanse of water that was larger than a puddle, being stowed away in her house most of her life. The mid afternoon sun turned the water to diamonds, sparkling and dancing across the surface. Felicity felt a pang of, she didn’t quite know what, in her chest. Maybe she was happy, that she got to spend a few days living by the water. Maybe she was upset about the memories she could of had growing up that she didn’t because she was stuck inside, like a prisoner. Maybe she felt sad because she knew this beautiful view was something her father would have enjoyed, but he wasn’t here anymore.</p><p>Felicity wrapped her arms around herself as the breeze from the water picked up, sending goosebumps over her bare legs and lace covered arms. Her black dress stayed pin straight, the material hugging her curves and not giving any room to move. It stopped just before her knees and a little after her elbows, showing off a sad image of black lace on top of black fabric. She curled her toes in her black ballet flats as the cold hit her feet. Felicity tilted her head to set her cheek on her shoulder before glancing behind her to look at the back of the house. There was a lot of windows and the largest one on the top floor that started at the floor of the room and almost reached the roof, Felicity could see into.</p><p>And what Felicity saw was someone watching her. </p><p>She was close enough to the house that she could make out features of the man, the broad shoulders, crisp grey suit, short hair, glass of alcohol in his hand and the most noticeable, his stoney expression.</p><p><em>Mr. Queen </em>. She thought. <em>His reputation proceeds him</em>. He looked like most Bratva Captains. Put together and handsome, but carrying himself in a way that showed authority. There was always something in the way a Bratva Captain spoke, or stared, or moved, that reminded those around them at they were capable of violent and terrible things. Felicity knew that Captains were ruthless and cunning, her father was no exception and she didn’t doubt that Mr. Queen would be either.</p><p>Felicity had only ever caught a glimpse of Mr. Queen once before and had only spoken to him once. It was a glimpse she had stolen when her father held a party at their home three years ago, after Mr. Queen had become a Captain. He was the youngest person to achieve Captain in the history of the Bratva. Which is extra unheard of when you take into account that he was an American. This was a big enough deal that Felicity’s father came to America from Russia, where he spent most days out of the year, to host a congratulatory party for the newest Captain. Felicity wasn’t allowed to attend the party, instead she was told to hide upstairs like she usually did when other Bratva men came around the house. </p><p>She wasn’t an idiot and neither were her parents. She was a young, beautiful woman who was often asked after by the men her father shared his company with. Felicity wasn’t hidden away in her home her whole life to only protect her from outside threats. Sometimes the predators lived within their community.</p><p>Felicity had been twenty six at the time of the party, and being closer to Mr. Queens age than she was with any of the other Captains, her father got worried about Mr. Queen setting his sights on her. So when the party started, Felicity positioned herself on the second floor, to the right of the main entrance to the house. This section of the house had an open wrap around lookout, so Felicity stayed plastered to the wall, out of sight from the guests entering the house. </p><p>A man making Captain at the age of thirty was just too unheard of for Felicity to ignore her curiosity. So she stayed in her darkened alcove, back against the wall, waiting for the arrival of the guest of honour. When Mr. Queen arrived, it was a while before Felicity could get a good look at him. He was rushed by other Captains, all singing his praises, making remarks and rubbing elbows. When the crowd finally cleared and it was just her father and Mr. Queen, that was when Felicity got a good look at him.</p><p>He was handsome, with his sharp jaw, and short blonde hair. Although he was young, he looked weathered, hard. Felicity guessed he must have been through some terrible things to become a Captain. She didn’t know all of the things her father did, but she would occasionally see a scar peeking out past the edge of his clothing, or catch him sitting alone in the dark, with a glass of alcohol in his hand, staring out the window at the stars, and she would be reminded of the horrors he’d seen and the terrible things he’d done.</p><p>Mr. Queen wore a dark grey suit and the faint semblance of a smile, and shook hands with her father as they made their way through the foyer. An employee of the house approached and spoke something into her fathers ear, which had him giving Mr. Queen an apologetic smile and saying something Felicity couldn’t hear before gesturing towards the dining room where the other guest had congregated and left in the opposite direction with the employee. Mr. Queen paused for a moment, watching her father go, before he tilted his head slightly towards the floor as if he was taking a moment with his thoughts.</p><p>Then, to Felicity’s surprise, he turned his head and looked straight at her as if he somehow sensed her presence. Felicity gasped, jerking backwards and retreated into the darkness, pressing her back painfully against the wall as if she could melt into it and hide. Her heart beat against her ribs, shaking her chest and she breathed deeply to steady the erratic organ. When she managed to build enough courage, she slid across the wall for another glance into the foyer but found he had disappeared into house.</p><p>Now, at the window, he raised his glass to his mouth and took a sip. He never changed his expression, or shifted his gaze from her. It was like he was watching to see what she would do next. Felicity stared blankly back at him before returning her gaze to the water in front of her.</p><p>"Miss. Smoak?" Someone behind her said. She turned to the opposite side to met a tall young man with brown hair and a very square jaw.</p><p>"Hello," Felicity said softly. "I'm so sorry for wondering about. I just love the outdoors." The man shook his head.</p><p>"That's alright. I know most Bratva children do. I'm Roy Harper, Miss. Smoak, I'll be your bodyguard while you stay at the Queen Mansion." He stuck out the hand that wasn't holding her suitcase.</p><p>"Felicity Smoak." She said shaking it. "Although you probably already knew that, it's your job. It's nice to meet you Mr. Harper."</p><p>"Call me Roy." He offered, his tone kind, but no smile present. Felicity sighed inwardly. <em>Rule number one for bodyguards, do not let your face betray you, lest you betray those you are protecting. Great.</em></p><p>"Okay, then call me Felicity." Felicity replied with a small smile. Roy shook his head again.</p><p>"I'll be calling you Miss. Smoak if it's all the same to you. Captains orders." Felicity's eyes flicked up to the window where she was still being watched.</p><p>"Formal addressment, right. I guess you always do what Mr. Queen says?"</p><p>"Those are the rules." They stood silently for a moment before Roy spoke again. "Would you like to come inside? You look cold."</p><p>"I'm fine, but yes, I would like to go inside, thank you." Felicity glanced one more time up at the big window before the two made their way back to the front of the house. The house was quite warm compared to outside and Felicity's glasses fogged up slightly. Four people were waiting in the front foyer, two men and two women. The young woman to Felicity's right was physically bouncing with excitement.</p><p>"Hi!" She took an enthusiastic step forward. "I'm Thea Queen, it's so nice to finally meet you!" Before Felicity could reply, the young woman hugged her.</p><p>“Sorry,” She said as she let go. “I don’t get a lot of visitors.” <em>You and me both.</em></p><p>Felicity gave Thea a small smile.</p><p>"It’s alright, I understand. It nice to meet you too." Felicity moved to the next person in the lineup. She didn't miss the slightly disappointed look on the girls face as Felicity quickly moved onto the next person. He was a smug looking young man with black hair and an expensive suit.</p><p>"Hi, I'm Tommy Merlyn. It's great that you've come to stay with us." Felicity gave him the same smile she gave Thea. She had heard about the Merlyn family. That they weren't Bratva but they were good allies and helped get the Bratva things by easily using Merlyn Global as a front instead of having Bratva ties to it. Felicity knew that Mr. Queen and Tommy were childhood friends, but she wasn’t aware that he was living with the Queens. However, from what she had heard about Malcolm Merlyn, she didn’t blame him for not wanting to live under the same roof as him. She didn't have a response to his statement so she simply move to the next person.</p><p>"I'm John Diggle, Mr. Queen's right hand man. It's nice to meet you Miss. Smoak. You can call me Diggle or Digg." Felicity shook his hand.</p><p>“You can call me Felicity.” She countered, hoping he’d be more lenient about the rule. Diggle grimaced at her and shook his head.</p><p>“I’m afraid I can’t do that Miss. Smoak.”</p><p><em>Great, another rule follower.</em> Felicity really hated being called Miss. Smoak, it felt too fancy and formal. Felicity nodded sluggishly, not having the energy to be upset at the formality. </p><p>The last person in the lineup was a short woman in an apron. She had a warm feel about her and Felicity felt a little better about her situation because the woman reminded her of home.</p><p>"Hello Miss. Felicity, I am Raisa. If there is anything you need, come see me. If you would like, I could give you something to eat or show you to your room."</p><p>"Seeing my room sounds lovely, I'm a bit tired." Raisa nodded and placed a hand in between Felicity's shoulder blades, gliding her to the stairs with Roy in tow.</p><p>“It was nice meeting all of you.” Felicity said as she began up the stairs. She saw the looks on the faces of the people she just met and she knew what they were thinking.</p><p>Why hadn't Felicity asked about Mr. Queen? He is the owner of the house, he should greet guests, right? Felicity knew better than that. Oliver Queen had a reputation for being cold and cruel and Felicity knew welcoming someone of little importance into his home was a waste of his time. She honestly hadn't expected to see him and she doubted that she would ever have a conversation with him, if she was really staying for only a few days. Raisa opened the door to a room and Felicity stepped inside.</p><p>"If you need anything, I will be in the kitchen. Mr. Roy knows where that is." She patted Felicity on the shoulder then left. Roy set her suitcase down on the bed and stepped back.</p><p>"Did you want to sleep?"</p><p>"Yes, actually."</p><p>"Alright," Roy headed for the door. "I'll be right out in the hall, yell if you need anything." Felicity nodded and remained standing till the door was closed. She sank down onto the bed and sighed.</p><p><em>A day or so...yeah right. </em>Tears fell from Felicity's eyes and she didn't bother to wipe them away. <em>I've been here less than twenty minutes and I already want to go home</em>. Felicity laid down on the middle of the bed and curled herself into a little ball, as if to protect herself. <em>I just want to go home</em>.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>I cheated and used Google Translate</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>Next </strong>!</p><p>-Dinner with the Bratva members</p><p>-An explanation about Felicity's anxiety attacks</p><p>-And Felicity meets Oliver (officially) and they have more than a few “moments”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. I'll Look After You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>-Dinner with the Bratva members</p><p>-An explanation about Felicity's anxiety attacks</p><p>-And Felicity meets Oliver (officially) and they have more than a few “moments”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Someone was shaking Felicity awake. She slowly slid her eyes open and saw Roy kneeling by her bed.</p><p>"I'm sorry to wake you Miss. Smoak but dinner is in about twenty minutes." Felicity sat up and adjusted her glasses.</p><p>"I'm not very hungry, Roy." She admitted, reaching up to gather her messy hair back into a ponytail. He gave her a sympathetic look and stood.</p><p>"I'm sorry but it's mandatory. You are the guest of honor for this evening, and several other Bratva members have joined us for the meal." Felicity shifted over to the edge of the bed and stood beside Roy, her hands smoothing down the wrinkles of her dress. “If it makes you feel better, Mr. Queen has let you sleep through the pre-dinner drinks.”</p><p>"Well, I guess that’s something. The less time I spend with those men, the better." Felicity said somewhat bitterly. Roy raised a questioning eyebrow. Felicity sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she elaborated. </p><p>"At home, whenever we had guests over, my father would make sure I was hidden away from their rather predatory gazes. Sometimes my presence was required at dinner or a party, but whenever that happened, I always had my mother to talk to and my father to keep the men in check. I doubt I'll get that here." Roy gave her a sympathetic look.</p><p>“Thea and Mr. Merlyn will be at dinner with you and from what I’ve seen of Mr. Merlyn, he’s pretty good at recognizing people’s emotions and steering conversations away from uncomfortable subjects. He’ll be there to support you, Thea too. I can mention something to them before dinner starts so they can be on the lookout for any inappropriately disguised questions.”</p><p>“Thea? Not Miss. Queen?” Felicity asked, noticing the lack of formality. The edge of Roy’s mouth twitched, hinting at a smile.</p><p>“I tried calling her Miss. Queen when I got here but she hates that formality stuff. When I told her I was following orders she stormed into Mr. Queen’s office and after some muffled yelling, she came out to announce I would be addressing her as Thea. Although I do have to address her as Miss. Queen around guests.”</p><p>“I wonder if Thea could talk to Mr. Queen about breaking that formality for me.” Roy tilted his head, thinking it over.</p><p>“I’m sure she’d give it a shot.” Roy made a sweeping gesture towards the door. “Shall we?” The two of them exited her room to find Mr. Queen approaching them from the end of the hall. Roy slid his bodyguard mask back into place, his shoulders squaring as he stood up straighter, hands clasped in front of him. Mr. Queen slowed as he came up to the pair.</p><p>“Roy, I need to talk to Miss. Smoak for a moment. Wait for her at the bottom of the stairs.” Roy nodded once, acknowledging the order, and left Felicity’s side without saying a word.</p><p>“You know you could say ‘please’.” Felicity said without thinking. A jolt of shock ran up her spine as she realized her careless mistake. Mr. Queen tilted his head slightly to the side, almost as if in surprise at her statement, his face unreadable. Felicity backtracked.</p><p>“I’m sorry Mr. Queen, I didn’t mean that. I’m used to living at home where I can speak freely,” She swallowed hard as Mr. Queen continued to stare. “I promise I’ll try to keep my thoughts to myself.” </p><p><em>Wow he’s really intimidating up close.</em> His eyes were intense, watching every move she made, as if he were looking at her to remember every detail. His mouth sat in a hard line, enough to make his expression uninviting, but not enough to be a scowl. The tension in his body was clear to Felicity, having seen it in her father. </p><p>Bratva Captains were always tense-waiting, watching, prepared for anything-although to the untrained eye, it looked as if he held himself in a relaxed manner. Felicity knew everything about him was controlled and calculated.</p><p>“I want you to feel comfortable in my home Miss. Smoak.” The statement was almost kind, and was very unexpected, catching Felicity off guard. “Although I do suggest you be more selective about what you say and to whom.” Now that was the more typical, vaguely threatening language of a Bratva Captain. Most Captains said things that would sound outwardly like a threat if they just finished every sentence with ‘or else’.</p><p>Felicity nodded at his instruction. The was a beat of silence, and Mr. Queen didn’t speak, much to Felicity’s discomfort. So, her defense mechanism kicked in and she started talking.</p><p>“I wanted to thank you,” She started. “For taking me into your home. It’s beautiful. And the view is amazing.” She sighed, remembering the water, as she unintentionally gestured directly at Mr. Queen. Mr. Queen’s head tilted slightly again, as though he was amused by her statement. If Captains were amused by anything. “By the view I mean from the yard! Which I saw earlier today. But you knew that, because you saw me outside in the backyard, admiring the view, of the water.” Felicity finished lamely.</p><p>“Your room has a view of the forest; would you like to move to the west wing to have a view of the water?” Felicity was taken aback by the offer, but grateful nonetheless.</p><p>“No, that’s alright. I’m sure I’ll just go out and enjoy the water every day.” She said with a hopeful smile. Mr. Queen’s brow furrowed as his expression darkened. Felicity’s smile faded and her chest deflated. She knew what he was going to say, so she beat him to the punch.</p><p>“I’m not allowed to go outside.” She said quietly in disappointment. </p><p>“It’s too dangerous Miss. Smoak.”</p><p>“How is it dangerous, we’re in the middle of nowhere. And could you please call me Felicity? I don’t like being called Miss. Smoak.” Felicity asked as her frustration rose within her.</p><p>“It’s a formality that I will follow Miss. Smoak, whether you enjoy it or not. Also, you should know better than most that danger can strike at the most unsuspecting of times.” He was making reference to her father. Her chest continued to feel like it was caving in and she looked down at the floor and away from Mr. Queen, frustration and sadness causing tears to form in her eyes.</p><p>“With your father no longer able to protect you, that job has now fallen to me. I plan to keep you alive Miss. Smoak, by any means necessary. Even if it means compromising your happiness.” Felicity blinked her tears away, leaving her cheeks dry but her eyelashes wet, and fixed Mr. Queen with a glare.</p><p>“In that case, I wouldn’t really be alive, would I?” She countered, lips twitching as she fought off a sneer. Mr. Queen took a step forward, but Felicity stood her ground, not letting him intimidate her into backing away.</p><p>“This is my home and the decision is final.” His voice lowered as he worked to control his temper and resist the urge to yell. “You’ll stay within the walls of this house. Am I understood?” The intensity of his eyes would make anyone cower beneath it, but Felicity wasn’t just anybody, she had a stubbornness that would not quit. It was the Bain of her father existence whenever they had disagreed. However, right now, Felicity knew she’d have to pick and choose her battles. Swallowing her frustration, Felicity tilted her chin up in defiance.</p><p>“Understood.” The word was harsh and clipped but Mr. Queen seemed more satisfied in her understanding than in her tone.</p><p>“Good.” Mr. Queen biting out the word like a growl. There was a pause and Mr. Queen’s eyes moved over her face, as if he were really looking at her for the first time. His eyes glanced down at her lips for a just a moment, his own parting slightly before he returned his gaze to her eyes. Felicity stole a breath, her own lips parting. Her face betrayed her as her skin flushed pink, high on her cheekbones. Mr. Queen’s eyes seemed to darken at the sight of her blush, which only made her skin turn more red. They stared at each other for another moment before Mr. Queen blinked, breaking the connection.</p><p>“Dinner will be starting soon. I’ll escort you to the dining room.” Mr. Queen stepped back and turned to the side to allow Felicity to pass him. Felicity moved around him, not meeting his eye. They started down the hall and Felicity took a moment to breathe in deeply, trying to shake the feeling she had in her chest. As they turned the corner, Mr. Queen’s hand ghosted over the small of Felicity’s back, guiding her where to go and her heart nearly jumped into her throat. They made it to the stairs and Felicity made her way down to where Roy was standing. After making eye contact with Mr. Queen, and understanding some nonverbal command, Roy made his way to the large dining room with Felicity and Mr. Queen close behind. As they entered, all heads turned in their direction. The other eight people, six other Captains, and Thea and Tommy, smiled at Felicity’s arrival.</p><p>"Dobryj vyechyer, господа. [Good Evening Gentlemen]" Felicity said quietly, nodding in the direction of the men.</p><p>"Miss. Smoak," One of the men closest to them smiled at her. "It's nice to see you again." Felicity remembered him from several of her fathers dinner parties. He ran the Australian branch of the Bratva. </p><p>Slade Wilson. </p><p>He was a nice enough man, always civil and charming whenever she spoke to him. He only ever intimidated Felicity in the customary way a Bratva Captain did, rather than the misogynistic way the other men usually did. Felicity didn’t feel threatened by Mr. Wilson as he only ever had eyes for his wife Shado. She died tragically in a mysterious accident about a year ago. ‘Mysterious’ was the word the Bratva used when it was obvious the Chinese Triad had ordered the hit but there was no evidence or suspects to prove it. Mr. Queen’s father and Tommy’s mother had died in two such “accidents”.</p><p>“It’s nice to see you again as well Mr. Wilson.” Felicity gave a small head tilt towards him in acknowledgment, and although her statement was true, she didn’t smile. </p><p>The rest of the men came closer before Felicity had the chance to pass by them. She came to a stop and tried to not look she was going to vomit as they huddled around her, encroaching on her personal space. Felicity cursed at herself for not clasping her hands behind her back as the first man took her small hands in his large ones, before she could move them away from his reach. As he moved to kiss her knuckles and whisper condolences, his eyes drifted up and past Felicity at something behind her left shoulder. </p><p>She was suddenly very aware of Mr. Queen’s presence behind her. </p><p>He didn’t stand close enough to actually touch her, but it was enough for the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up and for her heart rate to increase. He didn’t invade her personal space like the other men did. The man’s lips barely touched her skin and his condolences were rushed, as he quickly stepped away from Felicity. She knew Mr. Queen was probably silently reminding the men to behave, and she felt her tension and anxiety slip away, just a fraction. Felicity assumed the look on Mr. Queen’s face was the reason the rest of the kisses and condolences were so fast that Felicity would blink, and a new man would be standing in front of her.</p><p>The last man, Mr. Wilson, took her hands and, to her delight, didn’t kiss them. Instead he spoke loud enough for the whole room to hear.</p><p>"We are all so dreadfully sorry to hear about your father. He was a good friend to all of us. Don't forget that we are here for you. Bratva before blood." The rest of the room echoed his last words before Raisa entered the room to tell them dinner was ready. Thea came over to fetch Felicity and guide her to her seat. Felicity walked briskly to the end of the table, her black flats silent against the hardwood floor. Mr. Queen sat at the head of the table because he was the owner of the house, the six Bratva members sat around him and Tommy and Thea sat at the opposite end of the table, on either side of Felicity. A plate was immediately set in front of her and everyone else at the table. Felicity kept her eyes trained on her food, not in the mood for a conversation.</p><p>After a few minutes of picking at her food-she didn’t have much of an appetite since her fathers death-she looked up to see Oliver Queen staring at her over the rim of his wine glass. Felicity felt like his eyes were searing a burn mark into her head with the way he was looking at her and she had to resist the urge to shift under the weight of his gaze. </p><p>She knew he was wearing a mask. Not a physical one but a theoretical mask that not only hid his true emotions, but it made him more approachable, almost human looking. She had seen her father wear the same mask whenever company came over. From what she heard, Mr. Queen was a lot like her father. </p><p>Cold, cruel, calculated, merciless. </p><p>She knew, however, that he must have had softer side, probably for his family, because that's what Felicity experienced from her father. </p><p>Love, kindness, admiration. </p><p>She could tell she was dealing with a calculated Mr. Queen at the moment. Felicity knew she had to pick her reaction to his gaze very carefully because even though Mr. Queen’s expression was otherwise blank, his eyes spoke volumes. It was clear he was trying to figure her out, as she had verbally fought back against him in the hall, which was something that simply wasn’t done. Felicity was a guest here, and she should bow to the hierarchy of the household and the Bratva. She knew that picking at her dinner could be seen as a sign of disrespect, and she’d rather not get on Mr. Queen’s bad side while she was there.</p><p>Just like in the hallway, Felicity chose not to cower under his presence. She held eye contact, blindly reaching for her water glass-she hated white wine and it’s what they served- and brought it to her mouth. Felicity physically blinked and Mr. Queen blinked metaphorically, breaking their eye contact, and joined in the conversation with the men near him. Felicity let out a breath.</p><p>The rest of dinner continued effortlessly and with only Thea and Tommy paying attention to her, she didn't need Tommy to bail her out of any uncomfortable conversation. Felicity had a quiet suspicion that whatever silent conversation happened between Mr. Queen and the other men as they spoke to her before dinner had deterred them from speaking to her at the table. When dessert was served Felicity decided to ask Thea some questions.</p><p>"So, do you know who will be watching over me tonight?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, fork halfway to his mouth. Felicity cringed. "I didn't mean to make it sound that creepy. I meant, who will be my bodyguard while Roy sleeps?" Thea paused for moment to think.</p><p>"Reggie, I think. There were a bunch of new guys who came when Oliver hired Roy. So, a newer guy is guarding you at night."</p><p>"Will it always be the same guards? At home they switched every once and awhile." Tommy shook his head.</p><p>"You'll always have Roy during the day and Reggie at night, unless Oliver says otherwise."</p><p><em>Oh yes, what Mr. Queen says, goes. Wonderful. I love it when people try and control every aspect of my life. </em>Felicity pushed the food on her plate around in distain.</p><p>"So, who do you guys have watch you during the day?" Thea gestured with her chin in the direction of two men behind Tommy, at the far wall.</p><p>"I have the brunette, Peter, and Tommy has the blonde, Felix." Felicity looked to her right and saw the men Thea was talking about. The blonde had a nasty scar that ran across his face, starting at his jaw, running diagonally up his face to his eyebrow. The brunette looked mostly unscathed.</p><p>“Do they ever get breaks? Sometimes at home the men would switch halfway through the day.”</p><p>"Sometimes when people in the house break off into pairs, only one bodyguard is required to watch the two people, since our house security is so tight. It lets the other person have a break or do some stuff they need to get done." Felicity nodded, more interested in their conversation than eating.</p><p>"What about when you don't have a lot of guests over? Do some of the men sit for supper?" Felicity thought of her usual bodyguard Stefan, who often sat down for dinner with her and her mother and some of the other men. Their presence always made the dinner table seem less empty. Felicity hadn’t been happy when her mother informed her that Mr. Queen had enough men and Stefan would not be joining her for her stay at Queen Manor.</p><p>"Oh yeah, all the time." Tommy said, swallowing his water. "But only the guys that have been around the longest. Newcomers like Roy, remain standing and eat when their shift ends."</p><p>"And Mr. Queen?"</p><p>"What about him?" Thea asked, taking a bite of her dessert.</p><p>"Does he eat dinner with you as well?" Felicity was pretty sure she already knew the answer but asked anyways.</p><p>"Yeah right," Thea scoffed. "It's a miracle if Ollie eats with us. Most days Raisa brings him a tray and he eats in his office. Digg still comes to eat with us however." Felicity looked past Mr. Queen at the other end of the table to the back wall where Diggle stood. Felicity's eyebrows drew together in confusion.</p><p>"I thought Diggle was Mr. Queen's right-hand man, why is he standing like a guard?" Tommy glanced at Oliver and Digg before leaning towards Felicity, lowering his voice.</p><p>“Actually, being a Bratva Captain, Oliver is pretty good at taking care of himself. Digg is kind of like a bodyguard, but he's mostly an adviser. He keeps Oliver level-headed and helps him with whatever dirty work needs to be done. It's only when a large number of guests are over that Digg stands by the wall since having a right hand man isn’t actually an official Bratva position." Thea leaned forward as well, matching Tommy’s tone.</p><p>"And between you and me, I think when it's a toss-up between standing silently by the wall or sitting and talking with the men, I think Digg would pick the wall every time. He doesn't like Bratva politics very much." Felicity nodded at the new information.</p><p><em>You and me both Diggle, you and me both.</em> </p><p>“May I ask Tommy,” Felicity started. “Why do you live in Queen Manor?” Tommy smiled weakly and scoffed before he sat back in his chair.</p><p>“If I didn’t live here, I would have two options. Option one is to live with my father at the Merlyn Manor and my father is-” Tommy pressed his lips tightly together as he searched for the right words. “An acquired taste.”</p><p>“Yeah, if you like the taste of arsenic.” Thea commented under her breath as she took the last sip of her white wine. Tommy raised his eyebrows at her in a “seriously?” gesture, but he didn’t dispute her comment.</p><p>“The other option would be to live alone in an apartment, and I don’t like living alone. Thea and Oliver offered for me to live here and I accepted.” He smiled his winning Merlyn smile at Thea, and she raised her glass to him in return.</p><p>“This place is better with you in it.” Felicity smiled softly at the intimacy between the two friends and felt a twang of bittersweet sadness in her chest. She rarely experienced moments like this, not only being tucked away in her home most of her life but also not having any siblings to spend that time with. She often longed for the kind of love Tommy and Thea were displaying.</p><p>As soon as dessert was finished, one of the men suggested they go have a drink. Felicity knew this invitation wasn't extended to her, so she didn't pay any attention to their conversation as they stood. She found herself to be unbelievably tired, despite her short nap earlier. Felicity declined Thea’s invitation to hang out some more, the younger girl seeming to understand she was tired. Felicity politely nodded at all the passing men as they made their way out of the room. Tommy and Thea had disappeared and it was only Roy, Felicity and Mr. Queen still in the dining room. Felicity started for the stairs but Mr. Queen put a hand lightly on the inside of her elbow, stopping her. She didn’t turn towards him, but she felt him lean down so he was slightly more her level.</p><p>"Enjoy your sleep Miss. Smoak. I will have a chat with you in the morning." The words sounded nice enough, but Mr. Queen's tone was crisp. It was an order, not a suggestion. He moved his hand from her arm and as soon as he was gone from the room, she all but ran for the stairs, wanting to put as much space between her and the other men as possible. Felicity bid Roy a goodnight and gave a quick hello to her night bodyguard Reggie, who introduced himself before she shut her bedroom door.</p><p>She got dressed quickly for bed, in a tank top and long, dark blue pyjama bottoms, and went to her suitcase to retrieve a pocket knife she had stashed away. There was no way she was going to sleep in a strange house without some form of protection.</p><p>At home, her father had taught her how to use a gun. Of course, he only taught her when her mother was out of the house because she didn't like the idea of Felicity using a firearm. He gave her a gun on her sixteenth birthday and she always kept it with her when she slept. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to grab and hide it in her bags before leaving home. Since her father had always told her to be prepared, Felicity had stashed pocket knifes into a lot of her belongings. All her bags had one and she often left small ones in the pockets of her jackets. This way if she forgot to bring one along with her, it would usually already be hidden away.</p><p>Felicity crawled under the covers, placing one hand and the knife under her pillow. She was in a strange room and house but just like before, she fell asleep eventually.</p><p> </p><p>A small noise woke Felicity. She had spent years learning how to react before thinking, her body could even complete a task before she was actually awake and functioning. She could hear what sounded like someone whispering and her eyes opened ever so slightly to see a man standing beside her bed. Felicity squinted in the dark, using the very minimal light from the moon that shone through her window to make out the figure as her night bodyguard, Reggie. She was about to sit up and ask him what he was doing when she saw the long knife clutched in his hand.</p><p>So instead of asking questions, she screamed.</p><p>Reggie jerked, like he was surprised she knew he was there. Felicity tried to scramble away from him but got tangled in her sheets as he leapt forward to use his hand to smother her screams. The hand hit her mouth hard and the force shoved her back against the pillow, keeping her down. He quickly climbed on top of her, using his weight to hold her down and trap her as he raised the knife, blade pointed at Felicity, above his head. When his arm came down, Felicity's hand flashed out to grab hold of his forearm to keep him from plunging the blade into her flesh. One arm not being enough to hold him off, Felicity moved her other arm to suddenly remember the pocket knife in her hand. She moved her fingers over the weapon, finding the notch to release the blade and she pushed it with her thumb. With the blade out of the handle, her arm snaked out and she drove the knife into the left side of his abdomen. Reggie cried out, jerking backwards on her legs, away from her. He released his hold on her mouth and Felicity took the opportunity to cried out for help as she pulled the blade out and repeated her previous action, plunging the blood soaked blade blindly into his abdomen once, twice-</p><p>Reggie grabbed her wrist before she could stab him a fourth time and forced it painfully down against the mattress. He raised his weapon once again but before he could use it, the door to her room burst open and Mr. Queen was there, barefoot and shirtless, gun in hand. He had the gun raised and squared off against the man on top of her, who she could now clearly see was Reggie, thanks to the light from the hallway that spilled in from the open doorway.</p><p>"Put the knife down and get away from her." Mr. Queen’s voice was hard but controlled although the tightness of his posture indicated the rage he felt. Felicity stared at him with panicked, pleading eyes, but he never looked away from the man on top of her. Felicity looked up at Reggie and watched as a sick smile slide across the man's face.</p><p>"We all have debts to pay Mr. Queen, I'm simply relieving you of yours." The knife came down and a shot rang out. Reggie cried out once again, tipping to Felicity’s left from the force of the gunshot. While he was distracted, Mr. Queen rushed at him, tackling him not only off Felicity but straight over the side of the bed. Felicity threw off her covers and sprinted out the open door and down the hallway, her brain taking her the only route she knew, to the stairs. She was in the front foyer when she collided with someone. She screamed in surprise and panic again, but reassuring words pierced through her fear and adrenaline.</p><p>"It's alright Miss. Smoak!" Felicity stopped struggling and looked up to see Diggle holding her lightly by the shoulders. "You're okay now, what happened?" He asked as he looked her over. Her body shook involuntarily from the adrenaline.</p><p>"I-I was sleeping and-and a man came into my room and attacked me. Mr. Queen stopped him."</p><p>"Is that why you're covered in blood? Is it yours, are you hurt?" Felicity looked down and saw that not only was she still carrying the bloody pocket-knife in her blood covered hand, but the top of her light blue tank top had blood splatter on it. Felicity's hands began to shake, and it became difficult to breathe. </p><p><em>Oh frack.</em> </p><p>She hadn't been kidding with her mother about her panic attacks. Being the daughter of a Bratva Captain meant that Felicity had seen a lot of horrible things, and once or twice had to do some horrible things to survive. All of this culminated in Felicity's brain and she became prone to panic attacks. Hers weren't as severe as she knew others had, but she did have medication she could take to stop her from reliving her horrible memories. It would become hard for her to focus on anything and she would feel like everything around her was unraveling and out of her control. Sometimes they were triggered when Felicity was in stressful situations, like this moment, where she didn’t feel safe, or they would just start up at random times.</p><p>She couldn't tell if in that moment she was going to have an episode or if she was going into shock. However, one thought kept replaying in her head.</p><p><em>I'm not safe.</em> </p><p>Felicity gripped the knife tighter in her hand and stepped away from Diggle.</p><p>"I'm not safe here.” Her voice wavered but her tone was absolute. “This was supposed to be a place where I was looked after! This was supposed to be a safe place! I don't even know why I'm here!" Felicity's whole body began to shake and when Diggle took a step forward, she raised the knife to defend herself, not knowing who she could trust. Diggle raised his hands, palms facing Felicity in a gesture of peace.</p><p>"Put the knife down Felicity, we're here to help-"</p><p>"Really? Because from what just happened, it seems like you're trying to kill me!" Roy, Tommy, and two other guards came into the foyer, but Diggle waved them back with a shake of his head. He knew that the best way to defuse the situation and unarm Felicity was to have the least amount of people in the room to make her feel safe. And if push came to shove, he would want to sedate her. He mouthed the word ‘needle’ to Roy, who caught on and ran for the med kit in the kitchen. Thea came down the stairs and gasped at the scene, although she couldn’t see the knife with Felicity’s back to her.</p><p>"Oh my god! Felicity, are you okay? I heard screaming and a gunshot." She sped down the rest of the steps and was almost to her when Tommy grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Hey! Tommy! She could be bleeding!" She struggled for a second before she saw that Felicity was holding a knife. "Holy shit." She muttered, taking a step back into Tommy.</p><p>"I wouldn't advise getting close to the girl holding a knife and freaking out. Just let Digg do his thing, then we can go see if she’s okay." Tommy whispered to Thea as he tugged her back a few more feet. Tears leaked out of Felicity's eyes, spilling down her face and she began to shout at Diggle.</p><p>"This would have never happened at my home! Why am I here? Because it's obviously not for my safety! I'm not safe here. I'm not safe. I'm not safe." Felicity continued to mumble those words to herself. Her chest constricted with each labored breath she took. Diggle motioned for Roy to step forward with the sedative when he arrived back in the foyer and Felicity spun on him.</p><p>"Stay away from me!” Roy halted. “You were supposed to protect me!" A look of hurt flashed across Roy's face before his bodyguard instincts made it disappear. </p><p>“Felicity,” Thea said, a note of disapproval in her voice. Thea knew this wasn’t Roy’s fault and somewhere in Felicity’s mind she knew it too, but she wasn’t thinking clearly at the moment. While Thea had Felicity’s attention, Roy took one step forward and quickly passed the needle to Digg. As soon as Digg had a good grip on it, he took a step forward and stuck it in Felicity's arm. </p><p>It was a strong sedative that started working fast. </p><p>Felicity’s shaking arm lowered the knife and she took a step to the side to try and balance herself. She stumbled instead but managed to catch herself.</p><p>"I'm not sa-safe here...I want-I want to go home..." Diggle put a gentle hand on Felicity’s arm, letting her know he was there if she fell. She sniffed as she continued to cry. "I'm not safe..." Her voice drifted into a quiet whisper as she stared at the bloody knife in her hand.</p><p>"Miss. Smoak?" A new voice asked gently. It was one her brain recognized but she couldn’t place it in her current state and Felicity refused to look up. She stared at the blood covering her hand, swaying on her feet, and a large hand came into her view, reaching calmly for the knife she was still holding. She was about to hold it out to protect herself when the person spoke again.</p><p>"Felicity?" The voice urged a little more forcefully, but the tone was still kind. She felt a sudden sense of safety, like her brain was associating the voice with someone who she knew would protect her. She glanced up to find the person bending to her eye level and concerned blue eyes stared back at her.</p><p><em>Mr. Queen</em>. </p><p>Felicity relinquished the knife to him, and he took it away quickly, passing it to someone behind him, never looking away from her. He placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing on them slightly to get her to look at him more fully. He lightly placed one of his hands on the side of her face, as he looked for any visible injuries. The other hand slipped down her arm to cup the outside of her elbow and Felicity reached out with that hand to grab his forearm to help steady herself. Felicity felt herself unconsciously lean into the warmth of his hand, her eyes fluttering for a moment, from the touch of him or the sedative, she didn’t know. When she looked at his face again, Felicity couldn't figure out the expression on his face, as his eyes were soft, but his brow was furrowed.</p><p>Was he worried about her? Was he angry with her? Was he happy she was okay? Did he honestly not care?</p><p>"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He urged, leaning ever so slightly towards her. Felicity sniffed and weakly shook her head 'no'.</p><p>"I-I'm not hurt." She wouldn’t meet his eyes then. Even in shock, Felicity still felt slightly humiliated about crying in front of a Bratva Captain. The humiliation disappeared when the thumb against her face brushed across her cheek, clearing away her tears.</p><p>"Are you alright?" Mr. Queen pressed further as Felicity felt more and more like she was floating away. However, she knew he wasn't asking about her physical condition anymore.</p><p>"I don't think I'm safe here Mr. Queen." She said in a small voice. Felicity's head began to feel heavy, the sedative really kicking in, and she leaned more into his hand. "I just want to go home." She mumbled softly, her eyes falling closed.</p><p>"I can't let you do that, Felicity." He sighed. Felicity made an unhappy sound.</p><p>"Why not?" She rocked forward then back, before she tipped forward, and Mr. Queen caught her against his chest as her legs gave out. Her forehead fell into the crook of his neck as he was quick to wrap an arm around her waist and under her legs, drawing her up into his arms and off the ground as he stood to his full height.</p><p>"Because I promised your mother I'd look after you." He said to her as he looked down at her face against his bare chest. She seemed to have finally succumbed to the sedative, her eyes closed.</p><p>"Will she be okay?" Thea asked as Mr. Queen walked towards her and the stairs.</p><p>"I don't know, Thea. I think she went into shock, she should be fine later in the day tomorrow." Thea nodded meekly, her face still etched with worry, but stepped back to let him walk up the stairs.</p><p>He placed Felicity in a different guest bedroom, maneuvering her until she laid under the blankets. He quietly made his way into the attached bathroom to get a dampened towel to wipe the blood off her hand. Mr. Queen returned and sat carefully on the edge of bed, taking Felicity’s right hand and gingerly wiping it until it was clean. Felicity made a soft noise and he looked over at her, her blonde hair pooled around her face. </p><p>His chest filled with a feeling he hadn’t experienced since he met her three years ago in her family’s library. He did the same thing he did all those years ago and forced the feeling down where he hoped it would disappear. It had worked last time, but now that he was looking at her again, Mr. Queen wasn’t sure if this feeling would stay silent like last time. He was coming to realize that the feeling had never gone away in the first place, it had just laid dormant.  </p><p>Swallowing hard, he hesitated before he set her hand down, his thumb ghosting over her knuckles as he stole a moment for himself. He set her hand back down on the mattress, rising to his feet, but before he could let go fully, Felicity held on to the tips of his fingers.</p><p>"Mr. Queen?" Felicity mumbled, eyes still closed, as Mr. Queen paused where he stood. He raised an eyebrow, surprised she was still conscious.</p><p>"Yes Miss. Smoak?"</p><p>"You're not as bad as I thought you would be." She said slowly but with conviction. Mr. Queen watched her features soften, as her fingers let go of his, telling him she was finally asleep. Diggle appeared in the doorway as Mr. Queen moved a chair over to the side of the bed.</p><p>"Are you sure you don't want me to watch her, Oliver?" Diggle offered. Oliver shook his head, leaning forward to place his forearms on his knees, hands clasped together, watching the soft rise and fall of her chest.</p><p>"It's three in the morning right now. On a regular day I would be getting up in three hours anyway. I doubt three hours less than I usually get will affect me too much. Go back to bed Diggle." Digg paused in the doorway, looking at Felicity. Oliver could tell Digg wanted to say more. "I know what you're thinking. We can protect her."</p><p>"Are we even sure this is the best place for her?"</p><p>"Tonight was the second attempt on her life in two days. She was lucky the first guy was caught poisoning her food before it got to her. If she had stayed in her own home, she would be dead by now." Oliver said lowly. Diggle shook his head tiredly.</p><p>"Alright, I’m going to go check on our attempted assassin downstairs and see if they need anything before they start interrogating him. I’ll come back here at six so you can go down and talk to him yourself.” By talk, both Oliver and Diggle knew he meant torture, but that didn’t need to be said out loud. “See you in a few hours, boss." Diggle closed the door behind him, and Oliver sat back in his chair. He watched Felicity as she slept, blonde hair spilled over the pillow, pale face smooth with sleep. </p><p>She surprised him tonight, not only with having a knife with her in bed but successfully getting several blows to the man before Oliver showed up.</p><p>That man had been right. Felicity was a debt Oliver was paying off but he sure as hell wouldn't let her be killed before that debt was paid in full.</p><p>*** </p><p>
  <strong>Next!</strong>
</p><p>-More Raisa (because she is awesome)</p><p>-Oliver and Felicity talk and set some ground rules</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Setting Boundaries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>-More Raisa (because she is awesome)</p><p>-Oliver and Felicity talk and set some ground rules</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felicity awoke in a cold sweat. She was tangled in her sheets, memories of being forced down against her mattress flooded her mind, and she struggled to free herself.</p><p>"Need a hand?" Felicity jerked at the sound of someone's voice. The fear from last night bubbled back up until she saw who had spoken. Diggle sat in a chair next to her bed, an open but overturned book sat in his lap.</p><p>"Diggle," Felicity breathed in relief. "How long have you been in here?" Digg pushed his sleeve up and checked his watch.</p><p>"About forty minutes. My shift has barely started."</p><p>"Your shift?" Felicity asked in confusion. "Was someone watching me earlier?"</p><p>"Oliver." Digg said simply. Felicity was sure her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.</p><p>"Oliver." She stated in surprise. Diggle nodded. "Oliver? As in Mr. Queen? The rough looking gentleman who is rumored to have an ill-temper and tends to completely ignore people and their feelings? He guarded me last night?" Diggle smiled a bit and stood.</p><p>"Yes Miss. Smoak. He might not be the best people person but when it comes to his job, he is the man go to."</p><p>"Job?" Diggle moved to the door and opened it.</p><p>"You can ask him all the questions you want when he calls for you later this morning. You should get dressed and have some breakfast. Roy will show you to the kitchen when you're ready." Digg left, closing the door behind him, and Felicity let out a breath.</p><p>Mr. Queen had watched over her last night. He sat in the chair, right beside her bed and watched her sleep. Felicity didn't know if she should have felt grateful or creeped out. She thought back to the previous night, recalling the attack in her room, Mr. Queen saving her, her panic attack, and finally Mr. Queen carrying her to bed. She decided to settle on grateful.</p><p>When she looked around the room as she got up from the bed, Felicity thought for a moment that she was still in the same room she was attacked in. However, upon closer inspection, the view from the window told her that she was on the other side of the house. Instead of facing the forest, she now faced the water to the left side of the house. She also realized that her suitcase had been moved to the room and sat on a chair beside a large mirror. Felicity opened the case and grabbed black jeans and a t-shirt and a very dark blue knitted cardigan, following the rules of Mourning.</p><p>It was customary in the Bratva to follow Mourning protocols after the death of a member. Since it was Felicity’s father who died, she was required to be in Mourning for a month. This meant no bright clothing, no wearing her hair down in public, no parties, limited outings, and limited access to technology. Mourning was a time to reflect and reminisce about the life that had been lost. Felicity was alright with the rules, ever since her father died, she didn’t feel like wearing bright clothes or going to parties. Another rule was no sex or dating during Mourning but since Felicity didn’t have anyone in her life, that rule didn’t actually apply to her.</p><p>The one rule that hurt her in her soul was the limited access to technology. Felicity was gifted with technology and often did some work for her father and the Bratva. Which would be a welcome distraction from her grief at the moment, but no. The Bratva allotted a certain amount of time for grieving and no business and then after the time is up, it’s back to business as usual, no grief allowed.</p><p>Felicity pulled off her tank top and she saw the dried blood spots that sprinkled across the right side. Her stomach twisted as she dumped it in the garbage can with a sigh of distain. Though she hadn't been hurt physically last night, she felt emotionally drained. The last two days and nights had been filled with so much sadness and anger and adrenaline, Felicity wasn’t sure how she was standing.</p><p>And she could see her exhaustion in her reflection.</p><p>She buttoned up her large cardigan in front of the mirror, noticing her pale face, blue eyes standing out more. Felicity liked that most days her eyes were bright and full, but these eyes were sad. Felicity noticed some discoloration on the skin near her eyes. She leaned in closer, her fingers reaching up to her cheekbones to lightly trace the faint bruises there. There was one on each side of her face, high on her cheeks near her eyes, left there from the fingers of her attacker when he muffled her screams with his hand. The bruises and the bloody shirt were the only physical pieces of evidence that she was attacked last night.</p><p>She turned away from the mirror, no longer wanting to see her reflection. She tied her hair back into a ponytail, slipped her glasses on and exited her room. Roy was standing beside the door frame, stiff as a board.</p><p>Felicity hadn't forgotten the harsh words she had said to him last night or the expression on his face when they came out of her mouth. They stared at each other for a moment. Roy’s eyes landed on the light blue bruises and Felicity noticed the look of questioning empathy in his eyes. She didn’t want to talk about it, so she spoke, diverting the conversation before it even started.</p><p>"So, Digg says you know the way to the kitchen." Roy opened his mouth, as though to speak, but closed it and nodded instead. He set off down the hall and made a series of left and rights before they came to a door at the end of a hall. He opened the door and motioned her inside. It was another short hallway, that looked nothing like the rest of the house. It was plain, no decoration, and limited lighting. There were only two doors in the hallway, right across from each other. At the very end of the hall was an opening to a set of stairs that led down.</p><p>"What is this place?" Felicity asked, turning in the small hall to face Roy as he closed the door to the other hallway behind him. He squeezed past Felicity and she followed as he continued to walk.</p><p>"This is the housekeepers hallway. We only have Raisa and Carson who work for the purpose of cleaning and keeping house, and those doors are their bedrooms. There is a short cut in here that leads straight into the kitchen. Thea uses it all the time." The corner of Felicity’s lip raised at how easy Roy spoke of Thea. He began to walk down the narrow staircase and they exited into a large kitchen.</p><p>Felicity marveled at the expansive space. She always loved food, and kitchens were the part of houses she loved most, since they housed moments of cooking with family members and creating edible memories. This kitchen was large and bright, with big windows above the sinks and sliding doors that led directly to the patio. Through the doors Felicity could see straight out to the yard and water.</p><p>"Hello Miss. Felicity!" Both Roy and Felicity spun to see Raisa standing by the kitchen island. Felicity smiled at the woman.</p><p>"Good morning Raisa." Raisa crossed the kitchen to stand beside Felicity, banding an arm around her shoulders with the lightest of touches, steering her in the direct of the island. Felicity took the hint and sat down on one of the stools.</p><p>"What would you like for breakfast? I can make anything you would like." Raisa asked as she rounded the counter. Felicity thought for a moment.</p><p>"Scrambled eggs on toast?" Raisa nodded and walked over to the fridge. As she rummaged through it, she called back over to Roy.</p><p>"And you, Mr. Roy?"</p><p>"I'll have the same thing." In anticipation for her meal, Felicity started to roll up the sleeves of her cardigan as it was so long, it fell well past her hands.</p><p>"Digg said that Mr. Queen was going to want to talk to me this morning. Do you know why?" Felicity didn't exactly direct the question at any particular person.</p><p>"He'll want to establish some ground rules, let you know what you can and cannot do, and where you're allowed to go. He probably also wants to talk about last night." Raisa froze while whisking the eggs, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.</p><p>"What happened last night?" Roy gave her a confused expression.</p><p>"No one told you? Felicity was attacked last night. Guy with a knife tried to kill her." Felicity was grateful Roy left out the part about them needing to sedate her. Raisa dropped the bowl of eggs on the granite countertop and rounded the island in a hurry, motioning for Felicity to stand. Felicity complied, getting to her feet.</p><p>"Why am I the last to know these things?" She grumbled. Raisa pulled Felicity into a hug, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back. "Did he hurt you?" Felicity’s chest ached at the comfort of the hug, tears pricking her eyes.</p><p>"No, I'm fine." Felicity said, working hard to keep her voice from wavering as she pulled back from the warmth of the other woman. She held her arms out to the sides as if to show she was still intact. Raisa shot an accusatory look at Roy.</p><p>"What?" He asked dejectedly.</p><p>"If anything ever happens you keep me in the hole." Felicity smiled a little at the woman's misuse of the metaphor.</p><p>"I think you mean the loop. You want him to keep you in the loop." Raisa waved a hand in front of her, dismissing the mistake.</p><p>"Yes, yes, loop, hole, it is the same thing." She sighed and returned to the food. "You Americans and your sayings." Felicity laughed softly and Roy shook his head smiling. When everything was ready for them to eat, Roy sat down a few seats away from Felicity. She noticed him sitting far away and paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.</p><p>"What's up with the distance? I won't bite."</p><p>"Or try and stab me?" Roy joked before he really thought it through, flinching as he realized his mistake. Felicity knew the joke was meant to be lighthearted, but it gave her an awful feeling, like her stomach was rolling around in her body. Roy sighed heavily, hating himself a little.</p><p>"That was uncalled for and it's way too soon to make jokes, I'm sorry. I'm sitting here because I have full view of all the entry and exit points. I'm also at a distance that I can reach you easily if I need to."</p><p>"Are we always going to eat lunch and breakfast like this? With you being on high alert?" Roy shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, of course. I have good reason to be on high alert, remember?" Felicity nodded in understanding and the two of them continued to eat in peace for several minutes. She looked over and noticed that Raisa was preparing a tray of food.</p><p>"Who's getting breakfast in bed?" Raisa smiled at Felicity's question, continuing to place food on the tray.</p><p>"Mr. Oliver likes to eat his food in his office. He gets a lot of calls at this time." Felicity looked at the clock above the large oven.</p><p>"He gets a lot of calls at 7:30 in the morning?" Felicity stood, having finished her breakfast and grabbed Roy's empty plate as she passed and set them in the sink.</p><p>"From Russia, yeah.” Roy answered. “There is a-”</p><p>"Eight-hour time difference.” Felicity finished for him, realizing the connection. “Right, I forgot it's three in the afternoon for them." She looked at the contents of the plate.</p><p>"Coffee, toast, a hardboiled egg and an apple. My father used to eat plain food like that for breakfast too." Roy stiffened at her words, watching her, and waiting to see if she would become sad or cry over the mention of her dead father. Felicity didn't show any signs of sadness.</p><p>"Miss. Felicity, would you do me a favour and take Mr. Oliver his breakfast? He will want to see you soon enough." Felicity nodded at the request, grabbing the handles of the tray. She turned to her bodyguard and gestured with her head towards the open kitchen door.</p><p>"C'mon Roy, show me the way." On their way out, Felicity balanced the tray against her hip and used her free hand to grab a red apple out of the bowl on the counter and set it on the tray. When Roy gave her a questioning look she responded with a shrug. "I'm still hungry." Up the main staircase and through several hallways, Roy stopped at a door.</p><p>"This is him. Just so you know, I won't be going in with you, but I'll be out here when you leave." Roy knocked on the door, opening it for Felicity when he heard a 'Come in' from inside. Felicity slipped past Roy, hearing the door close behind her.</p><p>The office was a large and long room, that extended from the hallway to the large window she had seen yesterday. The room was decorated with browns, reds, and blacks, and it gave her a warm feeling, making her think of the fall weather outside. There was a large rectangular oak table in front of her that could seat ten easily. The space from the walls to the table was wide and Felicity saw in awe as she walked towards the back of the room that the walls were covered with books. The shelves had been carved into the walls, books packed tightly together. Felicity passed between two dark red leather sofas that sat against the walls opposite each other. Felicity finally looked up to the back of the room to see Mr. Queen sitting at his desk, illuminated partially by the morning light coming in the window behind him.</p><p>Felicity still felt unsure about the Bratva Captain. He seemed very cold when she spoke to him before supper and after it. However, he had silently protected her against their supper guests, and he had managed to calm her down after she was attacked. His eyes had looked almost soft when he took the knife from her and asked if she was alright. She was sure that she didn't really have anything to fear when it came to him.</p><p>Mr. Queens desk was on a raised platform, meaning Felicity had to climb up two steps to stand in front of the desk. Mr. Queen closed the file he was reading, moving it to the side, and clasped his hands together on his desk. When she hesitated, he gestured for her to put the tray down on the empty spot on his desk. She quickly grabbed her apple before sitting in one of the two leather chairs opposite him. Before he could speak, Felicity beat him to it.</p><p>"Thank you." Mr. Queen tilted his head to the side.</p><p>"For what Miss. Smoak?" Felicity was pretty sure he already knew what she was thanking him for, but she continued.</p><p>"For making sure that I was okay, that I was looked after. For protecting me." Felicity clarified as she unconsciously picked at the skin of her apple while Mr. Queen stared at her. </p><p>"I was doing my job Miss. Smoak." He replied simply. Suddenly Felicity remembered what Digg had said to her about Mr. Queen being good at his job. She still didn't know what that meant but she had a feeling it had something to do with why she was there.</p><p>"And what job is that Mr. Queen?"</p><p>"My job is to protect you and keep you safe." Felicity narrowed her eyes at him.</p><p>"I never asked to be kept safe. I don't even know why I had to leave home."</p><p>"You might not have asked to be kept safe but if last night was any indication, you need protection. Your mother left you here because this is the safest place for you." Felicity scoffed, rolling her eyes as she sat back in the chair.</p><p>"I was almost killed. How is here any safer than my home?" Felicity challenged.</p><p>"Because here we were able to catch the man who attempted to kill you. At your home, the attempted assassin got away." Felicity sat straight up in shock, almost dropping her apple.</p><p> "What?" She asked, stunned, her eyes wide. Mr. Queen stood, buttoning his suit jacket closed as he did and rounded his desk.</p><p>"The day before you came here, an unknown assailant broken into your home and was caught trying to poison your food. The man escaped and your mother felt it was safest for you to be here, under the protection of a Bratva Captain and his men. The men at your home weren't able to catch the assailant who tried to kill you. Here, we not only caught him, but we also got some information out of him." Felicity scooted closer to the edge of her seat, impatiently waiting for more information.</p><p>"What did you find out? Do you know why he was trying to kill me?" Mr. Queen leaned on the edge of his desk. Felicity supposed it was to make him seem more casual, but it honestly looked more like he was towering over her. Mr. Queen pressed his lips together into a hard line and sighed through his nose.</p><p>"He was a Triad member." Felicity’s blood ran cold.</p><p>The Chinese Triad had been enemies with the Bratva for a long time. They were fighting for the same turf and the same international clients. The Triad believed that they were entitled to America, but so did the Bratva. They were constantly at each other’s throats and there was a lot of Bratva blood on Triad hands. However, Bratva had even more Triad blood on their hands to even the score.  </p><p>"So, you killed him?" Felicity stated. Mr. Queen raised an eyebrow.</p><p>"Pardon?"</p><p>"You said 'was'. That implies that he used to be a Triad member and I doubt that you would offer him a job after he tried to kill me, so I am assuming he is now dead because he <em>was </em>a Triad member when he was alive and he would no longer be a Triad member if he was dead..." Felicity trailed off as she met Mr. Queens eyes and realized she was rambling. "So, you killed him." She came back around to her original thought, her fingernails nervously picking at the skin of the apple in her lap. Mr. Queen nodded.</p><p>"Yes, I did. I got some information out of him before I did." Felicity leaned forward, silently urging him to continue.</p><p>"What did you find out?" Mr. Queen crossed his arms over his chest at her question.</p><p>"I'd like to hear your recollection of last night’s events first.” Felicity scowled at his request.</p><p>"Why? So, you can make sure that I didn't have a hand in planning my own assassination?" Mr. Queen leveled her with a stoney expression.</p><p>"I'd like to know what happened before I came in." Felicity sighed and was about to start explaining when Mr. Queen cut her off. "Why don't you start with the knife you had hidden away?” Felicity detected an accusatory note to his voice, but something else too. He almost sounded impressed. Felicity continued with her recollection of the night, starting with the retrieval of her pocketknife. Mr. Queen watching her intently as she spoke.</p><p>"And then you came in." She finished. Mr. Queen nodded, absentmindedly.</p><p>"Is there anything else you remember? The smallest detail could be the most important."</p><p>"Way to lay on the pressure." Felicity muttered to herself, her face scrunching up as she realized spoke with a loose tongue again. Mr. Queen tilted his head disapprovingly. "Um, he was muttering something to himself." Felicity thought a little harder. "Oh! And he seemed surprised that I was awake, like him talking to himself shouldn't have woken me up."</p><p>"The muttering," He said as he stood. "Was probably a Chinese prayer. Triad members often give a prayer to those they believe are worthy of living in the next life." Felicity was unsure why the assassin would believe she deserved to live in the supposed next life. If they cared about her living in the next life, why would they try to take her from this one? Just another question to add to Felicity's growing list.</p><p>Mr. Queen walked back around to the other side of his desk, flipping the folder he was reading before open as he stood. His fingers skimmed across the document before he spoke again.</p><p>"The man admitted to drugging your wine before it was served to you. It was meant to keep you unconscious while he snuck in and killed you."</p><p>"I didn't drink any wine last night. It was white wine, I prefer red. I did drink the water at dessert." He nodded again and sat back down in his chair. “Why did he want me dead?”</p><p>“That, besides who specifically had sent him, was the one piece of information he did not give up before he died. Me and my men are exploring multiple different motives for the assassination attempts. One of which is that with your father dead, you are now an easy target. We’re unsure if they want to kill you to make an example out of you, or if you know something that they want no one else to find out.”</p><p>“I don’t know anything.” Felicity admitted, shaking her head. “I’m barely ever allowed to leave my home and the work I did under my father wasn’t anything major.” Mr. Queen nodded slowly at her statement, processes what she said.</p><p>“Nonetheless, I’ve requested for all your files and projects pertaining to Bratva activity to be sent here for the investigation.”</p><p>"Did he say anything else?" Felicity urged and Mr. Queen shrugged.</p><p>"The usual." </p><p><em>Ah,</em> Felicity thought. <em>The usual Triad speech before death. The Bratva will fall and the Triad will rise from its ashes. Blah blah blah.</em></p><p>"What about that comment he made about a debt?" Felicity pressed. Mr. Queen looked a little surprised she mentioned that but he answered her anyways.</p><p>"I told you that you're here so I can protect you. Your father saved my life once, and I was in his debt. When he died, the right to cash in that debt fell to your mother. She believes that the house of a Bratva Captain is the safest place for you, and I agree. So, I am paying off my debt to your father by protecting you Miss. Smoak." Felicity opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it and closed it again. "Yes Miss. Smoak?" He prompted her to speak, a little exasperated.</p><p>"Please don't call me Miss. Smoak. It makes me feel old and it's way too formal. If I'm going to be staying here for a while, which I’m guessing is what is going to happen, I'd rather not be called Miss. Smoak all the time." Mr. Queen shifted in his seat, leaning back, and let out a breath through his nose as his mouth formed a hard line once again. He rested his elbows on the arm rests and held one fisted hand in the other. Felicity could see the tension rolling off his body, like he was trying to keep control. Over what, she didn’t know.</p><p>“I don’t feel like I can do that Miss. Smoak. There needs to be a sense of formality between us.”</p><p>“You called me Felicity last night.” She countered, remembering how he used her name to calm her and get her to hand over the knife she had been holding. “Are you saying that if you called me Felicity, there wouldn’t be formality between us?” Felicity asked innocently, not understanding his point of view.</p><p>“We are interacting in an official capacity Miss. Smoak, not a personal one. Calling you by your first name would go against the rules of Mourning.” Felicity’s eyebrows came together in confusion. <em>No bright clothing, no wearing her hair down in front of other people, no parties, no sex or dating, limited outings, and limited access to technology…calling me by my name doesn’t fall under any of those rules.</em></p><p>“There’s no rule that says you can’t call a person in Mourning by their first name. Calling me Felicity isn’t against the rules of Mourning Mr. Queen.”</p><p>“It is to me.” Mr. Queen responded quickly. Felicity met his eyes and saw the complete conviction he held there. Silence fell between them as Mr. Queen held her gaze, as if he could communicate through his blue eyes. She wasn’t sure what by he meant by his comment and her eyes searched his face as if it would give her the answer. His face held his expression, until his eyes twitched, his eyebrows flinching in confusion and worry as he noticed something on her face.</p><p>He rose wordlessly from his chair, never looking away from her face. Felicity became more confused as to what had him looking at her like that. He came around the desk once more, moving to sit in the vacant chair beside Felicity. She shifted, turning in her chair towards him as he gently dragged his chair closer to hers. Mr. Queen lowered himself down onto the edge of the chair, and their knees brushed.</p><p>He reached forward and placed his fingertips lightly under her chin, pressing gently to urge her to tip her head up slightly. Felicity’s mouth opened at the contact, a small breath leaving her as she did what he silently asked. Mr. Queen looked over her face, eyes dancing across her skin. They settled under her eyes and she realized he was looking at the light bruises on her face. As he stared at her injury, contained anger flickered across his features for a second. She wasn't sure who the anger was for. Anger at himself for not preventing the injury, or anger at the man who caused the bruises, or anger at Felicity for not telling him about it, she honestly didn't know. It could be any or all of those options.</p><p>Then, despite his clear disapproval of the idea, Mr. Queen called her by her name.</p><p>“Felicity…” He uttered her name for the second time, softly, like it was an apology. Felicity swallowed, her chest fluttering as his face softened, like it did last night when he took care of her, worry seeping into his features. His Captain mask was falling away and something else was taking its place. He almost looked guilty, like he blamed himself for the blemish on her skin.</p><p>He reached up with his free hand to lightly run the pads of his fingers over one of her bruises. His touch was gentle, almost non-existent against her skin, as though he didn’t want to injury her further. He traced the outline of the bruise, his worried eyes concentrating on it as if he could make it disappear from her skin with the willpower behind his stare.</p><p>Felicity looked down at him through her eyelashes, her breath stuttering. Her mouth moved, no sound coming out. The movement momentarily caught Mr. Queens attention and he drew his eyes from her cheeks to her lips, his hand falling away from her bruise. He let out an audible breath and Felicity miraculously found the ability to speak.</p><p>“Mr. Queen…” Her voice came out above a desperate whisper. To Felicity's disappointment, the Captain masked slammed back over Mr. Queen’s features, and he pulled his hand back, his fingers curling into his palm. Felicity leveled her head, staring as he pulled away from her.</p><p>“When we finish having our talk, Diggle will have a cream you can put on those bruises. I’ll go tell Roy to find him.” Mr. Queen avoided her gaze as he stood up suddenly, Felicity watching him with desperate eyes as he retreated. Felicity’s chest deflated as he crossed the room to the door. She felt rejected, even without actually asking him anything. As Mr. Queen stuck his head out of the door to speak to Roy, Felicity looked down at the apple in her hands, which she had picked apart with her fingernails. It looked the way she felt.</p><p>Bruised and sad.</p><p>The morning sun broke through the clouds, shining across the room, illuminating Felicity where she sat. It beckoned her to the window.</p><p>When Mr. Queen turned around, having finished speaking to Roy, he found that Felicity wasn't in the chair anymore, she was standing in front of the big window. Mr. Queen made his way over to her and found her staring intently out it.</p><p>“Miss. Smoak?” He prompted.</p><p>"I'm sorry," She said softly, not looking at him. "I've been inside most of my life. I take every chance I get to be outdoors. Although, right now, I'm just looking out a window and I'm not actually outside but this window is so big so it seems almost like I'm outside..." Felicity trailed off, realizing that she was babbling again. She noticed that this time around however Mr. Queen didn't cut her off. She looked over at him to find him staring at her curiously.</p><p>"The sweater you’re wearing, is it your fathers?” Felicity was taken aback by the question since he was right.</p><p>“How did you…?” Felicity asked, astounded.</p><p>“Your sweater looks fairly large, compared to your size." Mr. Queen clarified, gesturing to it.</p><p>"Yeah, well, it was my fathers. I know it kind of looks like it's eating me-I mean that it's so big that I'm engulfed in it, not like, you know, eating me..." Felicity sighed, more exasperated than embarrassed, and started again as her fingers played with the cuff of the sleeve. "I kind of stole it from his room before I left. It's comfy and…and it smells like him." Felicity confessed, staring down at the soft material.</p><p>“When my father died,” Mr. Queen started, causing Felicity to look up at him in surprise, as he began to share a personal detail about himself with her. “I took most of his clothes from his closet and I wore them whenever I could. Eventually I grew out of all his sweater and suits.”</p><p>“I noticed.” Felicity admitted, guessing that Robert Queen never physically looked like Mr. Queen did. She was sure Mr. Queen had outgrown his father is both the height and muscle department. Felicity flinched at her comment.</p><p>“I said not noticed, right?” She looked back up at Mr. Queen with desperate embarrassment. Mr. Queen looked slightly amused by her, much to her relief. Mr. Queen didn’t respond, and they stood in silence for a moment.</p><p>"I should let you go eat your breakfast." Mr. Queen said calmly. Felicity smiled weakly.</p><p>"Is that your polite way of telling to get out of your office? I've already eaten my breakfast." Mr. Queen’s mouth twitched at the corner, like he was fighting the urge to smile.</p><p>"I'm not kicking you out Miss. Smoak." She shrugged.</p><p>"It's alright, I should let you eat in peace." She rounded his desk, rolling her apple in her hands.</p><p>“Before you go,” Mr. Queen said, before Felicity could get too far. “We need to discuss the rules I’ve set out for you.” Felicity stopped with a sigh, turning to face Mr. Queen.</p><p>“Let me guess, these rules are not up for discussion.”</p><p>“They are <em>not</em> up for discussion. The rules I’ve created are for your safety, and I’m not willing to compromise.” Felicity sighed again, more loudly this time, and took a seat in her chair again. Mr. Queen continued.</p><p>“You are free to roam about the house, although some rooms and spaces will be locked. As discussed, you will not be allowed to leave the house. Any orders I give you are for your safety and well-being so you must follow them. You will do exactly as Roy tells you because he is getting his orders from me. You will not talk back, and you will do as your told. Disobey me and you will not like the consequences." Felicity scowled at him like she had last evening in the hallway. She really hated being told what to do. Felicity knew she should pick her battles, like she did yesterday, but Felicity was just not having it. She was a little miffed with his dismissal of her when they had sat next to one another. So even though she knew better, Felicity let her silver tongue speak for her.</p><p>“So, what you’re saying is that I’m going to be a prisoner here.” She stated, her tone hard. She physically ground her teeth together, her jaw aching. Mr. Queen narrowed his eyes at her, the only part of him that moved, as the rest of him stood as still as stone.</p><p>"My house, my rules." He said sharply, his tone matching Felicity’s. Felicity narrowed her eyes at him, matching his expression.</p><p>"What kind of consequences will you inflict upon me Mr. Queen?" Felicity goaded him further. "What are you going to do? Keep me locked in my room all day? Then I’ll definitely be a prisoner.” Mr. Queen stalked around the desk, his movement graceful but controlled. He came around to stand in front of Felicity, not towering over her but not leaning casually against his desk either.</p><p>"Don't tempt me, Miss. Smoak." Mr. Queen’s voice was so low, it came out as a growl. “You don’t want to know the kind of things I could do to you.” Felicity knew he was talking about punishment for disobeying a Captains orders, but she couldn’t help imagining, momentarily, all the things he could do to her. She thought of how his hand felt against her cheek last night, kind and warm, and how he lifted her up into his arms with ease to carry her upstairs. Her mind began to think about how he could lift her up, with her legs around his waist, his mouth on hers. She thought of the things he could do with his hands and his mouth-</p><p>Felicity stood suddenly, her body reacting to her own thoughts, cutting them off.</p><p>
  <em>Shut that down Smoak, you can’t be thinking about him like that.</em>
</p><p>“Fine.” The word shot out of Felicity’s mouth as she conceded. She let out a small huff of angry air as Mr. Queen’s stoney eyes watched her. He leaned forward slightly, towering over her as she looked up at him.</p><p>"I have work to do." Mr. Queen spoke down to her. Felicity gave him a nasty look. "Now I <em>am</em> telling you to get out of my office." Felicity breathed in deeply, calming her anger before she turned and left his office. She made a point to slam the door behind her.</p><p>"Not go well I take it?" Roy asked from his position beside the door.</p><p>"Not at all." She shook her head, trying to shake the angry thoughts out of her head. She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.</p><p>“Can we go back to my room please? I feel like all of my energy has left my body.”</p><p>“Absolutely.” Roy replied. “I’ll radio Digg to meet us there so he can give you something for your face.” The two of them made their way back to Felicity’s room and found Digg waiting outside her door. Felicity avoided his eyes as they came up to him. She still remembered how she had acted towards Digg last night. When they joined Diggle in front of her door, Felicity took in a tight breath as she steeled herself for her this conversation.</p><p>“How are you feeling this morning?” Diggle asked, looking at her with kind eyes.</p><p>“I’m alright. I felt a little shaky this morning but I’m otherwise good.” Diggle nodded along with her words in understanding.</p><p>“I’ve brought you some cream for your bruises. Come and sit down and I’ll apply it.” Diggle grabbed her doorknob and started to open the door when Felicity interrupted him, the guilt eating away at her.</p><p>“I’m sorry.” Felicity blurted. Diggle looked at her in confusion. “For the way I acted last night. I was panicked and didn’t know who I could trust-not that I’m saying you are or look untrustworthy, I just-”</p><p>“Don’t know me.” Diggle finished for her with a kind smile. “I understand Miss. Smoak. You were attacked and scared.” He set the hand that wasn’t on the doorknob reassuringly on her shoulder. Her anxiety and guilt melted away and her shoulders dropped in relief. “I don’t blame you Miss. Smoak.” Felicity returned his soft smile and followed him into the room. The three of them found, to their surprise, that someone was occupying the bed.</p><p>"Thea!" Felicity said in surprise. Thea laughed as she sat up from where she had been lying on top of the covers.</p><p>"I didn’t mean to scare you." She set down the magazine she was flipping through. "How are you? Feeling okay?" Felicity nodded and sat next to Thea on the bed. Roy stood next to Felicity’s door, while Thea's bodyguard, Peter, stood on the opposite side of the room.</p><p>"I'm not one hundred percent,” She said as her fingers ghosted over the bruises on her cheekbones. “But I feel a lot better than last night." Thea smiled and spotted the cream in Diggle’s hand.</p><p>“I can take care of Felicity, Digg.” Thea held her hand out for the cream which Diggle relinquished to her.</p><p>“Sounds good. I have paperwork to do.” Thea laughed at his comment as she unscrewed the cap of the cream.</p><p>“When <em>don’t</em> you have paperwork to do?” Diggle chuckled at her question, a smile lighting up his face as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Thea tapped Felicity’s knee, indicating that she wanted Felicity to face her. Thea squeezed a small amount of the white cream onto her fingers and began rubbing it carefully over Felicity’s bruises.</p><p>“Do you think you’ll feel better by the end of the week? I’d hate to have to cancel the party." Thea said absentmindedly as she dabbed away at Felicity’s skin. Felicity looked at her with wide eyes, jerking backwards.</p><p>"What party?"</p><p>"The party we're having for you at the end of the week." Thea said slowly, her fingers hanging in the air. "Has no one told you?"</p><p>"No. Why are you throwing a party?"</p><p>"Because you're the new addition to the house. We want to celebrate you." Thea beamed. A thought occurred to her and a look of concern came across her face. "Wait, do you have anything to wear? Because if you don’t, we'll need to go shopping because none of my things are going to fit you." Thea stood and grabbed Felicity's hand, tugging her to her feet. Felicity dug her heels in.</p><p>"I can't go. Mr. Queen says I can't leave the house. Besides, I’m in Mourning, I can’t go to a party." If Mr. Queen wasn’t going to call her Felicity because he felt it would somehow be going against the rules of Mourning, then he sure as hell wasn’t going to allow her to go to a party. Thea grinned.</p><p>“We got special permission from Anatoly. He didn’t say why, but I think it has something to do with you being his god daughter. I hear he adores you.” Felicity’s chest tightened at the mention of her godfather. She hadn’t seen him in almost a year, and she missed him terribly.</p><p>“I’m surprised Ollie didn’t tell you about the party. We’ve been planning it since we heard you were coming.” Thea commented, but then shrugged, not caring about the answer to her question. “Oh well, you leave Mr. Queen to me. I'll make sure you can leave the house." Thea took Felicity’s hand and dragged her back downstairs, their bodyguards in tow. They ended up back at Mr. Queen's office.</p><p>"Wait here." Thea slipped inside and Felicity stood by the door with the two men. Not too long after Thea entered, the voices inside got louder and it was clear the two of them were fighting. Felicity reached for the doorknob, but Roy placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.</p><p>"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Felicity raised a questioning eyebrow but listened to Roy’s superior knowledge pertaining to the Queen siblings. So, they all waited patiently until the door swung open and a disappointed looking Thea walked out. She slammed the door behind her just like Felicity had done.</p><p>"He threatened to cancel the party if I continued to push the idea of you leaving the house. <em>But</em>, don’t be discouraged! If you can’t go to the mall, I’ll bring the mall to you!”</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Next!</strong>
</p><p>- Thea and Felicity bonding</p><p>- House tour</p><p>- Flashback to when Oliver and Felicity first met three years ago</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Night We Met</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>- Thea, Tommy, Roy, and Felicity bonding</p><p>- House tour</p><p>- Flashback to when Oliver and Felicity first met three years ago</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi! So a WARNING with this chapter, there is one sentence that includes the insinuation of sexual assault. Just a heads up, it’s one line said by a Bratva man (because they are gross and evil).<br/>I kept the line vague and implied, but you will still draw the same conclusion as to what the man is referring to.<br/>Also sorry for the day late update, this was physically a week from hell.<br/>And this chapter is basically a rewrite from the original (save for a few lines of dialogue) so enjoy!! -Addie</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felicity was drowning in fabric.</p><p>Thea had made good on her promise to bring the mall to Felicity. Thea’s room had turned into a department store overnight. There were clothing racks displaying dress, after dress, after dress. Thea had graciously stuck to the rules of Mourning and sorted through the dresses that had been delivered to the house and picked out all the ones that were too brightly colored and too scandalous. There was unfortunately not a huge selection for Felicity to pick from, but the dresses that were there were beautiful. She looked through the rack and gawked at the clothing that caught her eye.</p><p>A gorgeous navy-blue gown with long sleeves and a skirt that sparkled.</p><p>A stunning deep red dress with a small slit on the skirt.</p><p>An elegant black dress with a neckline that started off the shoulder.</p><p>They were all wonderful, but each gown had its problems. The blue one had a neckline that went just a touch too low for Felicity’s liking. The red dress had a back that was also too low. Felicity wasn’t going to choose the black dress because she had already worn enough black for one lifetime. As her hands skimmed over the dresses, the fabric moving under her fingers, she caught sight of a dark green dress. Felicity reached over and pulled it off the rack, holding it in front of herself to get a better look at it.</p><p>The dress had a full length, A-line skirt that fit close to the waist and gradually widened towards the floor. The sleeves looked as though they would only reach her elbows. The curved neckline looked acceptable, like it would end just below her collarbones. The entire dress was a solid dark green colour. Felicity touched the skirt and found the material to be very light.</p><p>“That dress would be perfect for you.” Thea commented, coming up behind Felicity. “You should try it on.” Felicity looked over her shoulder at the younger Queen.</p><p>“You think so?”</p><p>“I know so.” Thea nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom. “Go get dressed in the bathroom and then come and show me.” Felicity complied, heading off to the bathroom while Thea searched through the racks, pulling dresses off and tossing them haphazardly onto her bed behind her.</p><p>In the bathroom, Felicity undressed out of her chosen outfit for the day, dark jeans and a deep blue knit sweater, and stepped into the long green gown. She slipped her arms through the half sleeves and pulled the bodice over her chest. She reached awkwardly behind her back to do it up, only to discover that the dress closed with buttons, not a zipper. Felicity let out a grumble of annoyance before opening the bathroom door, with one hand behind her back to keep the gown closed.</p><p>Felicity saw, with some amusement, that Thea was having Roy hold up two dresses for her as she decided between them. They were both short, one red and sparkly, and the other gold with a deep neckline. Felicity instantly knew that Mr. Queen was not going to be happy with either of those dresses, especially if she was going to wear it at a party full of Bratva men.</p><p>“Your brother isn’t going to like either of those.” Felicity stated, much to Thea’s clear enjoyment. She smiled wickedly at Felicity as she wondered further into the room.</p><p>“Oh, I know. That’s kind of the point.” Felicity offered Thea a small smile, constantly surprised by the young woman’s brashness.</p><p>“You love to antagonize him, don’t you?” Thea nodded at the question, looking back at the dresses before deciding on the red one.</p><p>“It sounds sadistic, but I love to watch the veins in his neck pop out when he gets mad. He doesn’t intimidate me, so I find it funny.”</p><p>“You’re probably the only one.” Roy huffed out a laugh at Felicity’s comment and all three of them shared a smile. Theas eyes drifted to the arm Felicity had behind her back and she raised a questioning eyebrow.</p><p>“You need a hand?” She pointed to Felicity’s arm.</p><p>“Yeah, the dress is done up with buttons and I don’t think I can contort my arms enough to do them up.” Felicity turned towards Thea as she came forward, throwing her chosen dress on her bed. Felicity offered her back to Thea and she began to do the buttons up with expert precision, starting with the lowest button, at her waist. Roy respectfully occupied his time and eyes to the task of cleaning up the disastrous pile of clothing that Thea had created all over her room. The girl was honestly like a tornado, fierce and quick, whipping up everything around her and shaking things up. Halfway up her back, Felicity spoke.</p><p>“This has been really nice,” She admitted. “Shopping for a dress like this.”</p><p>“Have you not gone shopping before?” Thea asked, leaning forward to catch Felicity’s eye over her shoulder, her fingers never faltering in their task.</p><p>"Yeah, of course I have but it's been a really long time since I've gone out shopping with another woman. Although I am aware that we didn’t actually go <em>out</em> shopping, since we’re standing in your room in the manor, but it still feels like we did. Friends make the experience more fun." Felicity smoothed her hands down the front of the dress, over her stomach as the material got tighter around her as the back closed.</p><p>"I know the feeling.” Thea said sympathetically. “Not having a lot of friends, I mean. Also being shut out, or away, most your life."</p><p>"Like you're a glass sculpture everyone needs to keep from being broken." Felicity said softly. Felicity met Thea's eyes in their reflection of the full-length mirror in front of them and saw the same pain in hers that she saw in her own. They had both been locked away most of their lives, kept hidden from threats but in turn, the world, and different opportunities.</p><p>Thea finished with the buttons, doing up the last one at the base of Felicity’s neck, and placed one of her hands on Felicity’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort and understanding. Felicity covered Thea’s hand with her own and gave her a small, soft smile. Felicity had only been at the manor for a few days, but she was already eternally grateful for Thea and her presence.</p><p>“You look amazing Miss. Smoak.” Roy commented, breaking the sweet moment between the two women. Thea stepped back from Felicity, letting her get a good look at herself in the mirror.</p><p>“I totally agree with Roy.” Thea complimented. The neckline sat a little lower that Felicity had originally thought, starting at her shoulders, and sloping just above her breasts. The bodice was close fitting and showed off the curves of her upper body and she felt a flicker of doubt in her chest and her nose scrunched up in indecision.</p><p>"I don't know Thea..." Felicity said, unsure about the dress, turning from side to side in the mirror, the light fabric of the skirt swishing around her.</p><p>"You look fantastic Felicity." Thea assured her. "This is the best one for you. That colour really works for you." Felicity still felt unsure, tilting her head to the head as she stared at her reflection. It was a nice dark colour, perfect for Mourning, but it was showing off more skin than she planned, and the tops of the sleeves settled towards the edges of her shoulders.</p><p>"If you need a third opinion," Thea and Felicity turned to see Tommy leaning against the doorframe of Thea’s bedroom. "I think you look incredible." He flashed Felicity an encouraging grin as he pushed off the doorframe and came into the room. Thea smacked his bicep with the back of her hand as he came to stand next to her.</p><p>"No one asked your opinion Merlyn. She already knows she looks amazing. I told her so." Tommy raised an eyebrow at Thea, tilting his head as though he didn’t believe her.</p><p>"Oh really? Because it looks to me like Felicity needs some more convincing." He walked forward again, straightening his navy-blue sweater. He came up to Felicity and took her lightly by the shoulders to turn her back towards the mirror. His hands slid down from her shoulders to rest on her upper arms in a comforting gesture.</p><p>"You look amazing." Tommy insisted, meeting her gaze in the mirror. "Thea’s right, this colour looks perfect on you. I bet every guy at your party is going to melt when they see you.” Felicitys cheeks flushed at the thought of making a room of Bratva men melt. She didn’t exactly know if it was something she wanted. She really didn’t want to attract too much of their attention, if she was being honest.</p><p>"I don't see you melting." Felicity said countered Tommy’s statement. Tommy smiled at her cockiness, a small chuckle leaving his lips as he dropped his hands from her arms.</p><p>"That's because I had time to pick my jaw up off the floor before I came over to talk to you." Tommy stepped back and took Felicity's hand, lifting and twisting it in the air to get her to spin around. The skirt flowed out around her, air blowing across her legs.</p><p>"Pick this dress." Tommy persisted, a small smile gracing his lips as Felicity came to a stop. Felicity returned the smile, which only made Tommy’s smile spread further across his face. Felicity let out a laugh, his happiness was utterly contagious.</p><p>“Alright,” She conceded. “This is my dress.” Thea clapped her hands in excitement as she absolutely beamed.</p><p>“Amazing! I’ll let Raisa know which ones we’ve picked, and she can coordinate payment with the stores.” Felicity nodded and was about to step to the bathroom to get changed again when Tommy spoke up.</p><p>“I’ll tell Raisa, and consider the dresses paid for.” Felicity’s shoulder slumped as she was floored by his generosity.</p><p>“Oh Tommy, no, you don’t have to do that-” Tommy held up a hand, politely cutting Felicity off as he shook his head at her.</p><p>“No, consider it a welcome gift.” He spoke kindly, but his tone made it obvious that he wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. “I think I speak for everyone when I say that although the circumstances that brought you here were less than ideal, we are very happy that you are the newest, temporary addition to the house.” Thea and Roy both nodded along with Tommy’s statement, clearly agreeing with him. Felicity’s heart swelled with emotion as she felt the compassion from the other people in the room, her chest feeling like it might explode from the kindness.</p><p>“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of you being so welcoming and open to me being here. You have all made this transition and-” Felicity stopped momentarily, her eyes filling with tears. She took in a sharp breath, steeling herself. “You’ve all made this transition and the aftermath of my fathers death way more manageable than I thought it was going to be. I feel supported by all of you and I know that you care.” Thea placed both of her hands on her chest, her face conveying sad sympathy.</p><p>“We <em>do</em> care about you.” The young woman confirmed, rushing forward to give Felicity a hug. Felicity graciously accepted the comfort, hugging Thea back as she did her best to hold back her tears. “Tommy and I know all about the grief after the loss of a parent and how it can affect you.” Thea pulled back and gave Felicity a sympathetic but hopeful smile. “We’re always here if you need us. The Bratva “mourn for a month and then get over it” stuff is bullshit. We’re here whenever you need us.” Thea insisted. Felicity gave Thea a wet smile back as she worked hard not to cry, because she knew that once she did, she might not stop for a good long time.</p><p>After years of being shut away in her home, of being robbed of experiences like this, the chances to make lasting friendships, she was finally meeting people who she could connect with. Thea was someone with similar experiences who understood Felicity, Tommy was a new personality that she clicked with, and Roy, although a little quiet thanks to his orders, seemed to genuinely care for her, his job be damned. Even Diggle yesterday had been understanding and seemed to know what she was trying to say without her having to say it. Felicity felt comfort in these people that she had been lacking not only her whole life, but especially since her father died.</p><p>“I can’t tell you how much that means to me.” Felicity confessed, her heart feeling full. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped back. “I should get changed.” She said with a small laugh. Thea nodded, understanding and helped Felicity to unbutton the back of the dress. Felicity fled for the bathroom to change as soon as she was done.</p><p>Once inside she took a deep breath in, steadying herself. Felicity quickly changed back into her regular clothes, avoiding her reflection, and forcing herself not to cry as her chest felt so full of love. She carried the dress carefully back into the room before handing it to Tommy. He took it with a smile and Thea spoke up from where she sat on the bed.</p><p>“Tommy, Roy, and I were just talking about how you haven’t had a tour of the house yet. Would you like to go on one now?”</p><p>“I’d love to.” Felicity responded, giving Thea a smile.</p><p>“I think it would be best if I showed Miss. Smoak around.” Mr. Queen spoke from his spot in the open doorway, drawing everyone’s attention to his sudden arrival. “That way I can show her which parts of the manor are off limits.” It was clear in Mr. Queens tone, like with everything that he said, that this wasn’t a suggestion or a question. He was going to be the one giving her the house tour.</p><p>Thea nodded at her brother, albeit a little disappointed. Mr. Queen looked to Felicity, giving her the silent indication that they would leave now. She gave Thea an apologetic look before she headed for the door, pushing her glasses more securely onto her face. Mr. Queen backed out of the doorway, allowing Felicity to enter the hallway, with Roy trailing behind her. Mr. Queen turned to address her bodyguard.</p><p>“I’ll take Miss. Smoak on this tour alone. Stay here and help my sister clean up the disaster she created in her room.”</p><p>“It’s not that bad!” Thea retorted from inside the room, causing Felicity to hear Tommy let out a laugh which made a smile spread easily over her face. Roy nodded at the command and turned back into the bedroom. Mr. Queen looked back to Felicity, his hand coming up behind her back to rest lightly underneath her shoulder blades, pressing against her to urge her down the hall. Felicity complied, walking forward to move beside him, his hand falling away as she fell in step with him. Felicity missed the warmth of his palm pressing against her through her sweater, but he repeated the action any time they were about to turn a corner, guiding her as to which direction to go.</p><p>As they made their way through the house, Mr. Queen pointed out important places to her including some she already knew about, like the kitchen, dining room and his office, along with some new places like his mother’s office and the door to the basement, where they had now stopped.</p><p>“What’s in the basement?” She asked, glancing at the number keypad that kept the door locked. Mr. Queen looked at her for a moment before indicating towards her slightly with his chin, his hands clasped behind his back.</p><p>“What do you think is in the basement Miss. Smoak?”</p><p>“All the stuff you don’t want regular guests to see.” Felicity stated, knowing what was in the basement of her home. “Training room, weapons room, interrogation room, maybe even a panic room.” Felicity suggested, pressing her lips in thought. Mr. Queen looked pleased by her response, and maybe a little impressed.</p><p>“Most people don’t guess we have a panic room in the basement.” Oh, he was definitely impressed. “Although, you missed two other rooms. The medical suite we use for emergencies and the locker room we use for after we train.”</p><p>“Right, I always used to just use the shower in my room at home, rather than the locker room. But we don’t have a medical suite.” Mr. Queen hummed in understanding.</p><p>“Your home is in the city, close to the hospital. Some situations call for immediate action and we don’t have the time to head to the hospital. Besides,” Mr. Queen leaned forward a bit, his voice dropping an octave. “Hospitals ask too many questions.” He said it like it was a secret he was sharing with her. A smile unexpectedly blossomed on Felicity’s face and she tipped her head down to hide it.</p><p>She was not supposed to feel like this. She was not supposed to find a Bratva Captain charming. She <em>was</em> allowed to find him attractive, because he was, but Felicity was not supposed to find comfort and affection in him. He was a Captain, and Bratva Captains were not people you could be friends with. She thought of her mother’s cautionary words, reminding her not to trust people so easily, especially not Bratva Captains.</p><p>But Felicity already knew, somewhere in her mind and heart, that Oliver Queen was not like other Bratva Captains. She knew that after their first encounter three years ago.</p><p>“I’ve been meaning to give this back to you.” Mr. Queen mentioned, drawing her attention back up to him. He reached into his inner suit jacket pocket to retrieve something. “I believe this belongs to you.” Mr. Queen produced her pocket-knife, clean of all blood, in his outstretched hand. Felicity took in a grateful breath, happy to have her belonging back. She reached for it, taking the end that Mr. Queen offered her, but he wasn’t quick to let go. She met his eyes when he wouldn’t relinquish it to her.</p><p>“Do you know how to fight Miss Smoak?”</p><p>“Depends on your definition of ‘fight’. I’m pretty lethal behind a computer screen. I could ruin your life with a couple keystrokes.”</p><p>“I know.” Mr. Queen responded with a sincerity that surprised Felicity. She honestly shouldn’t have been surprised, he was a Bratva Captain and in charge of her safety, of course he was going to do his homework on her.</p><p>“If you mean physically fighting, I’m not useless, I know some stuff, but I’m definitely not on your level.” She admitted.</p><p>“Would you like to be?”</p><p>“Would I like to be what?”</p><p>“On my level?” He asked, taking a tentative step forward, still holding her knife. “You can clearly handle yourself Miss. Smoak, but if you hadn’t been armed the other night I worry that things might have ended differently.” The weight of his words and gaze had Felicity biting the inside of her lip. She could see he felt, since her safety was his responsibility, that the assassin getting into the house and posing as a bodyguard was his failure.</p><p>“I’m alright.” Felicity said, feeling an overwhelming urge to reassure him about her feeling safe in the Queen Manor, under him. <em>Under his protection. </em>Stupid brain.</p><p>“You might not have been.” Mr. Queen said with a seriousness in his eyes that pined her to that spot. Felicity let out a breath, refusing to look away from his gaze. “I want to train you Miss. Smoak. I want to make sure that if I’m not around, you’re still able to get out of a situation alive.”</p><p>“You want…to train me? To fight?”</p><p>“You’re Bratva Miss. Smoak, you should know how to fight.”</p><p>“And you want to teach me?” Felicity asked, still a little taken aback by his suggestion.</p><p>“It’d be my pleasure.” He said in a low voice, his eyes drifting over her face.</p><p>
  <em>Oh this man was too much.</em>
</p><p>He finally relinquished the knife to her, but didn’t move back, which had her sticking the knife back into her pocket with a shaky hand. His eyes looked over her face slowly, like a caress, stopping near her eyes.</p><p>“Your bruises look better this morning.” He said, his voice still low, maintaining the little bubble around them as they spoke.</p><p>“Yeah,” She breathed, too afraid of her tendency to babble at the most inopportune times to say too much as his stare caused her cheeks to turn pink. His eyes were like magnets and she couldn’t look away, couldn’t break the connection, and it’s because of this she didn’t notice how his hands twitched at his sides, begging to touch the injury like he had done yesterday.</p><p>“Is,” Felicity swallowed hard, searching for words, any words, to say. “Is this the whole tour?” Mr. Queen’s mouth twitched in the corner, the smile he always seemed to be fighting asking to come out.</p><p>“No Miss. Smoak, I’ve left the best for last.” He stepped back finally, breaking their bubble, and bringing the rest of the world inside. “Follow me.” They left the basement door and headed down another hallway. Mr. Queen briefly gestured to the ballroom as they passed it, not paying enough attention to it for Felicity to believe it was the last room.</p><p>They stopped at the end of a hallway in front of a large pair of double doors. Felicity racked her brain for what room they could possibly be forgetting when Mr. Queen turned to face her. His face held it’s usual blank Bratva expression, but Felicity could see his eye practically dancing with excitement. He took another step forward, right on the edge of Felicity’s personal space. She looked up at him, waiting.</p><p>“Close your eyes.” It was an order, she knew that, but his tone was…soft, and polite.</p><p>“Why?” She asked before she could stop herself. His smile tugged at his mouth again.</p><p>“Do you not trust me Miss. Smoak?” He asked in return, an air of amusement in his voice.</p><p>“Of course I trust you.” She replied truthfully, her answer coming out instantly before she had a moment to think about her words. The amusement in his features softened into concealed surprise at her words. She caught him off guard-hell, she had caught herself off guard-and this was the most genuine face she had seen him wear since he had noticed her bruises yesterday.</p><p>He reached out, never looking away from her, his hand landing on her bicep before sliding down to her hand.</p><p>“Close your eyes.” He repeated, quietly. Felicity’s eyes fluttered closed and she let out a breath from her parted lips. She waited for a moment, nothing happening. They stood together, her eyes closed and his hand in hers for a long drawn out second that had a voice in Felicity’s head wondering what he was going to do.</p><p>She then felt his grip on her hand change, shift as he turned, and her arm went out straight as he moved towards the doors. Her feet shuffled forward, and she heard the latch on the doors give way as they were opened. Mr. Queen tugged her forward and she followed blindly into the mystery room. She moved forward a few feet before the tugging stopped and so did she. Mr. Queen moved towards her, which she felt in the return of her arm to her side, his hand still in hers. She could feel the heat coming off his body, telling her he was close, his warm breath making the loose single strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail shift against her face.</p><p>“Open your eyes.” He commanded, his tone level, but not unkind. She did as he said, her eyes opening, adjusting to the light and focusing on his board chest which was right at her eyeline. She looked up to his face, about to say something when her eyes focused on the room past his head and the words died on her lips with a gasp. She took a step back in shock and wonder, Mr. Queen still holding her hand as she moved away, and looked around at the magnificent two story library she stood in. Oak shelves full of books lined the walls to the ceiling on both floors, identical iron spiral staircases leading to the second floor of the library faced each other on either side of Felicity. She took another step back to turn around, her hand finally slipping from Mr. Queens grasp, something she hadn’t intended to do but she was too preoccupied by the overwhelming number of books to notice.</p><p>She also failed to see the first genuine smile grace Mr. Queen’s lips as he watched her light up at the sight of the room, her evident joy proving too much for him to fight the smile off.</p><p>A wooden railing lined the second floor where it looked out on the main area where she stood. There was a sitting area with multiple plush leather chairs and couches on the second floor, across from the double doors. The shelves went so far back on the second floor that they disappeared out of sight. Her hands came up to her face, her finger covering her lips in glorious shock as she thought of all the hours she was going to get to spend reading in this room.</p><p>She did a full 360, stopping to look at Mr. Queen in appreciation. He had slipped his mask back on, the smile she missed not there, but his eyes still shone.  Felicity let a breathy chuckle leave her lips, a smile bursting out under her fingers.</p><p>“This is amazing.” She said, her hands falling from her face.</p><p>“I thought you might like this room.”</p><p>“’Like’ is not a strong enough word, I love it. I more than love it, I want to get down on one knee and marry this room.” She said with another small laugh. “I assume that if I read these books I’d have to read them in here?” She asked, assuming there were restrictions tacked onto this wonderful surprise. Mr. Queen responded with a shake of his head.</p><p>“No Miss. Smoak, borrow whatever book you’d like. From here or from my office.” Felicity’s eyebrows came together in momentary confusion. “I saw you admiring my collection when you came into my office yesterday.” He clarified. Felicity nodded slowly, realizing that there was very little that escaped Mr. Queen attention.</p><p>“There is so much to choose from,” She said gesturing to the room. “I don’t know where I would start.” She admitted with a nervous smile. Mr. Queen nodded, pressing his lips together in thought.</p><p>“Maybe you’d like to start with this shelf?” He offered, gesturing to the bookshelf to his left. “Maybe you’ll see a book that interests you.” Felicity didn’t know why he picked that particular shelf, but she wasn’t going to argue or question him.</p><p>Especially not when he had a wicked gleam in his eyes.</p><p>Felicity walked slowly to the shelf, her eyes moving over the titles before a dark blue book with the title in bright gold lettering down the spine caught her eye. A comforting feeling bloomed in her chest and a smile grace her lips as she pulled the book off the shelf, turning back to Mr. Queen and holding it up in front of her.</p><p>“Little Women,” She stated, meeting his knowing gaze. “Just like the night we first met.” She said, reminding him of that night. “Although my copy looked different than this.” The smallest of smiles graced Mr. Queen’s lips as he nodded.</p><p>“It was red.” He stated, startling Felicity with the fact he remembered the leather bound book she had been seeking out that night. Felicity nodded slowly, pleasantly surprised, as a timid smile broke out over her face.</p><p>“You remember that?”</p><p>“I remember everything about that night.” Mr. Queen said with conviction as he steadily held her gaze. Her lips parted as the memory came back to her.</p><p>…</p><p>
  <em>Smoak Manor – 3 years ago</em>
</p><p>Of course tonight was the night that she completed all her projects and read through all the books in her room.</p><p>Of course that had to happen while her father was hosting a Congratulatory party for Mr. Queen, newly appointed Bratva Captain, meaning her house was crawling with Bratva men who would just love to catch her in a room by herself.</p><p>Of course when she managed to sneak downstairs to the library undetected, she would find that the book she was looking for was nowhere to be found.</p><p>It was a favorite of hers, a first addition of the novel Little Women, which had originally been published as two books. Felicity loved reading the novel when she was younger and on one of her birthdays her father surprised her with first additions of the two books. They had been preserved beautifully and Felicity only pulled them out to read on special occasions.</p><p>Like right now, when she was bored out of her mind, which meant her mind often drifted to the fact her home was full of Bratva men and it would fill her with enough dread that she’d rise from her bed to triple check that her door was locked.</p><p>Even though one could argue that her coming downstairs was a huge risk, given her fear, it was a calculated risk that Felicity decided to take. She knew the house like the back of her hand and knew which areas to avoid and what hallways would be empty. She also knew that the library was far from the party and she knew where the book she was looking for would be in the library so she would be in and out in just a minute.</p><p>At least she knew where it was <em>supposed</em> to be.</p><p>“Frack,” Felicity muttered under her breath as her eyes scanned the shelf, looking for her identical books and coming up with nothing. Felicity, feeling defeated, thought that maybe they had fallen under the bookshelf, so she set the mug of tea that she had brought with her-mostly to drink, partially to toss in someone’s face if they came across her-onto the large table at the back of the room near where she searched and she got down on her hands and knees to check. The ground was cold and hard on her exposed knees, since she was still wearing the tight, light pink dress she had picked out for that day. She came up empty handed still, and she sat back on her heels, biting her lip as she thought about where they could have disappeared to. She really wanted to read the first book.</p><p>From each side of the door, all the way around the room, the walls were lined with shelves of books reaching up to the ceiling. There was a large open space in the middle of the room with two leather couches that faced each other, and six shelves behind each of the couches, spreading out to the far walls. Normally Felicity loved what seemed like an endless number of books in the room but now, she hated it. She really didn’t have the time or patience to search the whole room for the book she wanted.</p><p>Footsteps against the hardwood floor in the hallway outside had Felicity freezing in fear where she sat, her body tensing as the steps came closer to the library. Her fight or flight response kicked in and Felicity quickly and quietly got to her feet, watching the light that came in under the door and from the small crack where she had left the door open to give her enough light to find her book. A shadow passed by both sources of light, not hesitating as the person walked past the door. Felicity let out an inaudible breath, her shoulders relaxing a fraction.</p><p>Until the shadow came back.</p><p>Felicity pressed her hand against her mouth to keep a startled noise from escaping her. The shadow shifted and the door moved a fraction and Felicity fled for cover within the rows of books. She only got about three rows in from the main area before the door opened fully and she stepped into the row to use the shelves to hide her.</p><p>Mr. Queen stood in the doorway, his face cast in shadow as the light of the hallway came in behind him. Felicity squinted to try and see what his expression was, when he turned his head slightly as he listened for any noise. His face was one of concentration and suspicion, his eyes narrowed and his mouth in a hard line. He moved into the room, closing the door again so only a sliver of light came in from the hall.</p><p>Mr. Queen advanced silently into the room, glancing around for any movement or indication that someone else was there. Felicity stayed absolutely still, not wanting to be found. She didn’t know him and although he didn’t immediately scare her like most Captains did, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be cornered by this Bratva Captain in a darkened library. Even if he hadn’t done anything to warrant her fear.</p><p>Felicity peered through the shelves, over the tops of the books to see Mr. Queen tilt his head curiously as he looked towards the desk at the back of the room. Felicity was unsure what had caught his attention, but he strode assuredly across the room, stopping at the desk. Felicity pushed herself up on her toes, trying to get a better look, carefully placing the tips of her fingers against the tops of the books in front of her to keep her steady. She watched as Mr. Queen pressed the back of his fingers against her tea mug and Felicity instantaneously knew what he was doing. He was checking the temperature to see if it had been left there from earlier and was now cold, or if it was warm and the person drinking it was nearby.</p><p>Frack.</p><p>That person was her and she was very much still in the room, which she guessed was the conclusion that Mr. Queen had come to because he straightened up, his shoulders back, and turned as he looked swiftly around the room. As his eyes tracked around the room, moving closer to where she was hiding, Felicity ducked down, worried he would somehow sense she was there like earlier in the foyer.</p><p>This was unfortunately the wrong thing to do.</p><p>As she hastily pulled her hands down, she accidently pulled two books off the shelf which fell to the floor with two loud slaps. Felicity cursed under her breath, flinching at the sound before cautiously glancing back up through the stacks to see if Mr. Queen had heard her.</p><p>Only she found that he disappeared from the main area and was nowhere to be seen.</p><p>Felicity stood to her full height, confusion flickering across her face as she looked around for him. She turned her head to the side and let out a yelp, jumping about a foot back in surprise.</p><p>Mr. Queen was standing at the end of the row, about five feet away from her, one hand lightly touching the shelf to his right. He was staring at her with an expression she couldn’t pin, like he was also surprised by her presence, and that he honestly hadn’t expected to see her specifically. Felicity took another step back, cautiously moving away from him like he was an animal that would pounce forward at her at any second. She knew that any other Bratva Captains would do just that, but Mr. Queen didn’t. She stared at him with wide eyes as he stayed where he was.</p><p>His eyes twitched in confusion and his lips parted as though he wanted to say something. It almost looked like he was hurt by her defensive actions, hurt that she feared him, but Felicity knew better. A little bit of fear from her was not something that would cause a Bratva Captain to feel hurt or lose any sleep over.</p><p>However, to Felicity’s constant surprise, Mr. Queen moved forward slowly, stepping into the row rather than lunging towards her like she thought. Felicity mirrored his actions with steps backwards, keeping some distance between them. His eyes never left hers, even as he knelt to pick the two books she had knocked over and return them to the shelf. As he came closer, Felicity exited row and upon realizing that she blindly, and a little stupidly in hindsight, ran further into the library, towards the back.</p><p>“Wait!” Mr. Queen called out softly, raising his voice just above a whisper as she took off, one hand reaching out for her. When Felicity encountered the back bookshelf, realizing she had run herself into a corner, and she turned back around to face where she had exited the aisle to find that Mr. Queen was not following her.</p><p>In fact, she couldn’t see him at all.</p><p>She waited for a beat, but Mr. Queen didn’t exit the aisle like she did. Her heart pounded in her ears as she watched the empty space, waiting for any kind of movement, nothing happening.</p><p>“Miss. Smoak?” Her heart just about jumped out of her chest as Mr. Queen’s voice broke the silence, unexpectedly next to her. Felicity spun to find him standing only a couple feet away in the aisle next to her. She backed up quickly and ran straight into a shelf that lined the wall, the force of her impact causing a few books to fall from the shelves. They thudded to the ground around her and one fell directly onto the top of her head before hitting the ground. Felicity cried out and tilted her head down as she brought one hand up to lay over the crown of her head where the spine of the book had connected with her skull.</p><p>She didn’t have time to think before she was suddenly aware of the massive chest in front of her. She jerked under the touch of one of Mr. Queen’s hands coming up to touch the hand on her head, his other hand lightly touching her shoulder. Noticing her adverse reaction, Mr. Queen, full of surprises, backed off, his hands coming up in front of him to show Felicity where they were.</p><p>“I didn’t mean to scare you Miss. Smoak.” Felicity took in deep breaths to soothe her beating heart as her fingers smoothed over the ache on her head. “I saw that the door to the Library was ajar and, and I guess my instincts kicked in. I assumed something was wrong. I didn’t think that you would down here, in the dark.”</p><p>“I didn’t want anyone to know I was here.” Felicity admitted. “I thought that I could just slip in and slip out but things didn’t exactly go as planned and now you’re here and I probably have a bump the size of a goose egg on my head which will be hard to explain later and-” She swallowed as Mr. Queen’s eyes searched her face. “And I am going to stop talking now, in three, two, one.” She counted down, gathering her thoughts.</p><p>“I really didn’t mean to scare you.” Mr. Queen said again.</p><p>“Well, being cornered by a Bratva Captain in an empty room is not on my bucket list.” Felicity said bitterly as she stared back, pressing herself further into the bookshelf. Mr. Queen’s eyes closed momentarily as his shoulders fell in recognition, his hands dropping to his sides. He managed to have an expression that was both soft and hard. He looked sympathetic, but Felicity could see anger simmering underneath.</p><p>“I have a sister.” He stated, the anger bubbling more towards the surface as he spoke. “I know what Bratva men can be like. I honestly didn’t think. I’m sorry.” An apology from a Bratva Captain. Felicity must have hit her head harder than she thought.</p><p>“What are you doing in here?” He asked, his head tilting in curiosity. Felicity was unsure of how to answer when he spoke again. “Whatever it is must be important, for you to risk being found by any of the men.” He observed. Felicity was a little floored at how easily he was able to read her.</p><p>“I ran out of reading material.” She confessed, her hand still covering the growing bump on her head. “I came down here to find a book, but it wasn’t where I left it.”</p><p>“What book?”</p><p>“Little Women.” She provided, confused by his interest in her literary choices. He turned his head to the left, his eyes scanning over some of the titles before he looked to his right, doing the same. He stood straighter as something caught his eye and he stepped further down the row, his eyes trained on a high shelf. He stopped abruptly and reached up, pulling a red, leather bound book from the high shelf with ease. Felicity knew the book instantly.</p><p>It was her copy of the first Little Women book.</p><p>Forgetting who she was with, she rushed forward, her hand dropping from her head as she reached out to retrieve the book from him. She let out a small, content gasp as her fingers closed around the calloused leather. She took the book from his outstretched hand, turning it over in surprise.</p><p>“How did you know it was there?” She asked in wonder, looking at Mr. Queen and realizing they were so close that she had to crane her head up to meet his eyes.</p><p>“I saw that the books on these shelves were organized by genre. Luckily, fictional classics just happened to be right here. When I recognized some of the titles, I searched for your book.” Felicity released a breath of surprise before looking back down at the book in her hands, happiness melting away her initial fear. She hugged the book to her chest and looked back up at the Captain.</p><p>“Thank you.” She said quietly, but sincerely. “It would have taken me forever to search this whole place and you just saved me from pulling my hair out in frustration and I don’t think I would look very good bald or with short hair as it grew back, unlike you, you’re gorgeous-” Felicity stopped talking abruptly with a cough, realizing she was not only babbling but possibly hitting on a Bratva Captain, who she still didn’t fully trust.</p><p>She wasn’t lying, he was gorgeous, even in the dark.</p><p> His suit left almost nothing to the imagination, clinging to his muscular frame, fitting perfectly as any tailored suit would. He held himself with the assuredness of a Captain, controlled and still, which gave him an air of importance. She watched the strong muscles of his neck contract as he swallowed, and she followed the movement up. His jaw was sharp and coated in enough stubble to look well maintained without being considered a beard. The stubble surrounded his beautiful lips and lead her gaze to his blue eyes that watched her intensely. His hair was cut short but looked long enough on top that Felicity’s fingers twitched against the book in her hands as she thought about running her fingers through the strands to feel the softness.</p><p>“Thank you.” She repeated, biting her lip to physically keep from speaking anymore of her thoughts out loud. The eyes she had admired a moment ago moved down to her lips, drawn in by her movement. His tongue poked out to wet his lips and Felicity’s eyes fell from his to his lips. He opened his mouth to say something, his body moving forward just a fraction, almost small enough to make Felicity believe she imagined it, when voices drifted in from the hallway.</p><p>Mr. Queen acted before Felicity could let out a breath.</p><p>He grabbed her by the waist with one hand, spinning her and pulling her towards him in one fluid movement. Felicity was momentarily proud of herself for not dropping her book in the process. Her back collided with his hard chest, his arm banded around her middle, keeping her there, just as his other hand came up to cover her mouth and any noises she would make. His grasp on her waist and over her mouth were firm but not painful. His breath skated over the crown of her head, over her previous injury, causing an involuntary shiver to roll down her spine. Mr. Queen tightened his arm slightly against her, his hand splayed across her ribs, pressing her back more against his firm chest.</p><p>They waited in silence as the voices came closer, Felicity’s heart racing in her chest. If they were found by anyone Felicity was comforted by the feeling she had that Mr. Queen would protect her. Her new fear, that made her heart beat heavily in her chest, was that if someone found them in darkened library, pressed closely together in the back of the room, that they would assume they were doing something inappropriate. They held their position as the voices became clear.</p><p>“-more impressive that I had originally thought.”</p><p>“I agree, Captain Queen continues to surprise.” Both voices were male, which wasn’t surprising, both speaking with a hint of an accent that Felicity couldn’t place.</p><p>“I wonder what plans he has for the Bratva. I’m sure a young man such as him has many ideas.” As their voices came closer, Felicity tensed, worried they would see the library door ajar and investigate like Mr. Queen had. At the signs of her obvious discomfort and fear, Mr. Queen lowered his head an inch, his lips ghosting over her hair, in the semblance of a soothing gesture.</p><p>“Maybe his first plan should be to find a wife.” It was Mr. Queen’s turned to tense up. Both of his hands twitched where they laid against Felicity as he sucked in an almost unheard breath through his nose. He went rigid against Felicity and her heart went out to him. She silently raised one of her arms to lay over where his held onto her, her hand landing gently over his.</p><p>Felicity wasn’t sure why she did it. Gossip wasn’t the kind of thing that Captains got upset over. But Felicity could tell by his reaction he didn’t like what they were saying, and she knew all too well about how horrifying it was to hear the Bratva men speak about her.</p><p>“Who do you think he should choose, hm? To be his bride?” One man asked the other, their voices almost to the door.</p><p>“What about Captain Smoak’s daughter?” Felicity’s heart stopped as she tensed so hard, so suddenly, that her shoulders shot up to her ears. The hand lying over Mr. Queen’s reflexively grabbed his in fear, her fingertips sliding in between his fingers. She took a sharp, audible breath in through her nose, the horror of being spoken about by the men exploding in her chest. Mr. Queen leaned into her slightly, another gesture that could be perceived as unspoken comfort or a silent reminder to stay quiet.</p><p>“The girl is certainly near his age, and I don’t know of any other man who is competing for her affections presently.”</p><p>“Perhaps that’s why Captain Smoak threw this party, so he and Captain Queen could meet behind closed doors and discuss an arranged marriage.” Both Felicity and Mr. Queen held their breath. Felicity was unsure if it was because of the man’s comment or because they passed by the door at that exact moment. When the footsteps continued without stopping, Felicity found the ability to breathe again.</p><p>“I wouldn’t blame Captain Queen if that’s exactly what he was doing. If I knew that it wouldn’t get me a bullet to the head I would have pinned that girl to a flat surface ages ago.” Felicity closed her eyes as she felt a wave of nausea roll through her, bile rising in her throat, the sound of the two men laughing together making her skin crawl and an unpleasant shiver ripped through her body. Mr. Queen tightened his hold, his hand twitching against her ribs. Felicity felt a rumble against her back coming from Mr. Queen’s chest and a barely audible growl passed his lips and into her hair.</p><p>“I would have done the same my friend!” The other man said back, his joyful tone making Felicity struggle to swallow her vomit. The two men continued to laugh down the hallway, the sound drifting into silence. They hadn’t seen the open door and hadn’t stopped.</p><p>The pair stood for a moment, unmoving, as they took a second to get their bearings. Mr. Queen removed his hand from Felicity’s mouth, giving her the chance to take in a deep, steadying breath. He moved that hand to cover hers, where it rested over his other hand at her waist. That was the only move he made. He didn’t release her from his hold or move back or lift his lips from her hair. Felicity was grateful for his hesitation, sure that if he let go of her, she would collapse.</p><p>“Are you alright Miss. Smoak?” He whispered into her hair, his earlier tension slowly slipping away as they stood together in the dark. Felicity nodded without thinking, which caused her head to connect with his lips. His lips touched the crown of her head, almost as if he were kissing her injury. She stopped moving instantly, the touch causing her cheeks to flame.</p><p>“I’m alright, I just need a moment.” She admitted, sighing as she tried to relax. She unconsciously pushed back against Mr. Queen, leaning on him for support. He pressed himself into her, pressing his hand firmly against her, enough to show that he had her, but not enough to make her feel trapped. She sighed again, the rest of her tension and horror melting away as they breathed in tandem. They stood silently for another moment before Felicity shifted forward. Mr. Queen understood the indication and dropped his arm immediately, removing it from her but letting it hover nearby in case she needed anything. Felicity rested her hand on the closest bookshelf, using it to steady herself. Adrenaline caused by a combination of almost being caught, the vulgar statement from the men, and the residual feeling of Mr. Queen being pressed protectively against her pumped through her, making her limbs feel light and weak.</p><p>“Are you sure you’re alright Miss. Smoak?” Mr. Queen asked as he shifted into her view, his hands hovering in case she needed support. Felicity looked at his hands as they waited at the ready and she felt an enormous amount of calm wash over, causing her to sigh.</p><p>He was so different from every other Bratva Captain she had had the misfortune of knowing.</p><p>He waited instead of acting. He asked instead of assuming. He was gentle and cautious and slow instead of fast and assertive and greedy. He was intimidating but in a way that Felicity knew it wasn’t directed at her. She knew he was powerful, both physically and socially, but he didn’t use that power against her.</p><p>The waiting hands, there if she needed them, but wouldn’t touch her if she didn’t, made her realize that she had nothing to fear when it came to Mr. Queen.</p><p>“I’m alright.” She responded, looking up at him. “Just a little-” She thought of the words the men had spoken about her and she shuttered, grimacing. “A little unnerved by what the men said.” A dark look passed over Mr. Queen’s face as he stood straighter, his mouth turning down into a scowl.</p><p>“I’ll find them.” He stated in a dangerously low tone, holding her gaze. “I’ll figure out who they are. They’ll be punished for saying those things.” Felicity swallowed hard, her lips parting as she turned to face him fully, her back to the shelf.</p><p>“You don’t have to do that.” She said in a small voice, her eyes drifting towards the ground in dismay. She knew all too well that Captains could say whatever they liked. Finding them would be pointless, they would get away with it, just like how they got away with most things.</p><p>“It wouldn’t be pointless.” Mr. Queen countered, causing Felicity to realize she had spoken out loud, making her eyes fly back to his. They still held the same darkness she had seen earlier. “They were disrespectful and vulgar. They made you feel scared by their words, I felt it.” He said, referencing her bodily reaction to the men’s comments. His insistence on justice on her behalf had her placing her free hand on his chest, over his heart.</p><p>“You don’t have to-” She started with a shake of her head.</p><p>“I do.” Mr. Queen stepped forward and Felicity leaned back, her back pressing into the bookshelf. Her hand never left his chest, her palm feeling the warmth of his chest through the dress shirt. He had moved into her personal space, their chests inches from each other, causing her head to tip back against the shelf to look at him. The darkness lingered in his features, but he didn’t look as enraged as before.</p><p>“I won’t let them get away with it, Miss. Smoak.” His hands rose to grip the shelf on either side of her head, and he leaned into her hand, her touch. “No one should ever say those things about you. No one should ever make you feel scared. <em>Ever.</em>” He bit the last word out like a growl, but Felicity knew the venom in his voice was for the men, not for her. Her fingers moved against his chest, spreading out to cover more of his chest as if she could drain all the anger from him with her sheer force of will. It seemed to work as his face softened, the lines of his face smoothing out as she looked back him with pleading eyes.</p><p>“Ever.” He repeated, the word coming out soft and quiet this time, as his eyes flickered down to her lips. She licked them in an automatic, nervous movement under the weight of his gaze, her heart fluttering when Mr. Queen sighed as he leaned towards her.</p><p>“Hello?” A voiced called out into the darkened library, startling both of them. Mr. Queen went into defensive mode, standing up straight and pressing his body against hers to shield her. The voice was one Felicity knew, which caused her to push against Mr. Queen’s chest, getting him to back up.</p><p>“It’s me dad,” Felicity replied at a normal volume, raising her eyebrows at Mr. Queen in a silent plea for him to stay silent. She walked away from him and came to the end of the row and into her fathers eyeline. He stood about a foot into the room, one hand on the doorknob. She lifted her book to show him.</p><p>“I ran out of reading material. I was just grabbing my favorite book.” Felicity said, answering his question before he even asked. She walked up to him as he shook his head disapprovingly.</p><p>“Mой сладкий [My sweet], you should have asked one of our men to come and get the book for you. One of my party guests could have found you in here.” There was a valid air of worry to her father’s tone, which caused her to hug him when she reached him at the door.</p><p>“I’m alright.” She said into his shoulder, angling the hug so her fathers back faced where Mr. Queen hid. “I’ll just grab my tea and you can have one of the men escort me back to my room.” She pulled back and gave him a loving smile which he returned, one of his hands smoothing over one side of her head and sliding down to cup her face. Felicity happily leaned into his touch, momentarily forgetting about the other man hiding in the room.</p><p>“You know I worry.” Her father said, his thumb rubbing across her cheek.</p><p>“I know.” Felicity replied, stepping away so she could retrieve her mug and get her father out of the room quickly. She tried her hardest not to look in the direction of where Mr. Queen waited at the back of the room, not wanting to alert her father to anything out of the ordinary. Lord knows what her father would do if he found Mr. Queen in there with her.</p><p>Felicity crossed the room and exited through the door, her book and mug in hand, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her eyes front and center. To her relief, her father simply followed behind her, closing the door as they left. Felicity let out a small breath and gave her father a tight smile as he gave her a kiss on the forehead before gesturing for one of his guards to take Felicity back to her room as her father left in the opposite direction.</p><p>It took every ounce of strength she had to not look back at the library.</p><p>***</p><p>Oliver remembered every second of their first encounter.</p><p>He remembered how the frightened look she gave him when he surprised her both times had made him feel like she had stabbed him in the chest and how much guilt and worry he felt when she had collided with the bookshelf and got hit on the head.</p><p>He remembered the fierceness in her voice when she made the comment about not wanting to be cornered by a Bratva Captain in a dark room, the glorious way she lit up when he found the book she was looking for, the beautiful way she looked up at him in gratitude and how her eyes had sparkled.</p><p>He remembered the way her body had melded into his as they waited for the men to pass by. The way she held onto him and leaned into him for support and comfort.</p><p>He remembered her kind touch, both her hand against his as he had held her, and her warm palm flat against his chest as she silently attempted to quell the rage inside him, the rage he felt at the men who spoke of her in such a vile way.</p><p>He remembered wanting to storm out of the library and grab the two men and rip their tongues from their heads so they would never be able to speak about her again.</p><p>He remembered how he gravitated towards her like it was the easiest thing in the world.</p><p>He could see, standing here in the Queen Manor library, that she remembered that night with vivid clarity as well. He nodded towards the book in her hands.</p><p>“I remember that being one of your favorites.” Miss. Smoak nodded, giving him a small smile before looking down at the blue book. She stared at the cover for a moment, the smile slowly fading away. She made a small noise, a gasping breath in, that seemed to have caught her off guard. Oliver looked to her curiously, unsure of what was happening.</p><p>“Miss. Smoak?” She turned her face away from him, hiding, as she waved her hand dismissingly in the air.</p><p>“I’m alright,” She replied in a wavering voice. “I just-” She stopped as her voice broke, turning her head further out of Oliver’s view. His eyebrows drew together in concern and he moved forward, his hand cupping the outside of her elbow. His hand kept her from walking away as she turned her whole body away from him.</p><p>“Miss. Smoak,” He urged, reaching around her body with his other hand and lightly taking hold of her other upper arm. He pulled her back around gently, and her head tipped down, her chin tucked against her chest as she avoided his gaze. However, her hair was pulled up and he could see the wet streaks that covered her cheeks, even if she didn’t look him in the eye. Oliver’s lips parted as he felt like his chest was caving in at the sight of her pain. Against his better judgement, and possibly involuntarily, he spoke her name.</p><p>“Felicity,” This time he said it like a plea, begging her to look at him, to talk to him, to let him help in any way he could.</p><p>“I knew earlier today that if I started to cry, I wouldn’t be able to stop.” She admitted with a disappointed shake of her head, still not looking up. Oliver released her elbow to curl his hand under her chin, his thumb lightly resting against her skin under her bottom lip. He tipped her head and her sad blue eyes met his and he struggled to keep his face neutral. She needed comfort in this moment, not for him to crumble at the sight of something so clearly bothering her.</p><p>“What is it? Whatever it is that’s bothering you,” He started, his sentence drifting off as he hoped she’d fill in the gaps.</p><p>“I miss my father.” She answered in a small, strained voice, the words breaking at the end as her face crumbled. More tears slid down her face and she pulled the book to her chest like it was a life preserver.</p><p>“Hey,” Oliver said softly, his hand moving from her chin to cup the side of her face before he could stop himself, his thumb brushing away the tears as they fell. He was unsure of what to say to comfort her, so he stood in silence with her as she cried. Her knuckles turned white as she held the book tightly, her eyes screwed closed just as tightly. She gasped out a sob and Oliver’s chest tightened.</p><p>He wanted to pull her into his arms, to hold her and soothe her pain but they barely knew each other. She barely knew him, the kind of man he was and the things that he had done. If she knew, she would recoil from him and run in the opposite direction. He had to keep her at an arm’s length, both physically and emotionally.</p><p>“It hurts.” She sobbed, her shoulder shaking. “I keep thinking about how much it hurts and how the one person I want to comfort me and tell me everything is going to be okay is the person who’s gone!” Felicity spoke, her voice rising in despair as she deflated, her body curling around the book in her arms.</p><p>“Hey,” Oliver said, shifting ever so slightly closer, despite knowing he should keep his distance. He used the hand against her face to urge her to look up at him. When their eyes met he continued.</p><p>“Your father may not be here Miss. Smoak but I am,” Her face shaped into an expression of gratitude and Oliver quickly caught himself. “And so is Thea and Tommy and Raisa and Diggle. I know what it’s like to lose a parent at the hands of the Triad, to have them stolen from you. You have friends here Miss. Smoak.” She gave him a wet smile and released her death grip on the book, the tension from her shoulders falling away. She sniffed and pushed a hand under her glasses to wipe her tears away, causing him to drop his hand from her face. As she recovered, he gained better control of his emotions and let go of her completely, even stepping away and putting his hands behind his back to keep the temptation to touch her at bay.</p><p>“Thank you.” She said with a smile that looked less forced. She looked down at the book in her hands, turning it over and running her palm across the cover. “I think I’m going to read in here for a little bit.” She said with a deep breath in. He nodded sharply at the statement.</p><p>“I should leave you to that then.” He slid more into his role of Captain and it killed him every second. “Diggle will come to collect you when it’s time for dinner.” He turned at left before she could answer him, her quiet ‘okay’ the last thing he heard before closing the library doors behind him.</p><p> </p><p>Next!</p>
<ul>
<li>Felicity goes outside without permission</li>
<li>Mr. Queen is not happy about that</li>
<li>Enter Sara Lance!</li>
</ul>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. We All Make Mistakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>-	Felicity goes outside without permission<br/>-	Mr. Queen is not happy about that<br/>-	Enter Sara Lance!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We should see if I can manage to go one chapter without having Oliver and Felicity stare at each other for a long period of time without saying anything. I’m like 0 for 5 at this point I think so who knows.</p>
<p>Sorry this chapter took so long, I hit a brick wall creatively in the middle. To get it out to you all faster I only did a once over of this chapter after I finished so please forgive any mistakes. -Addie</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Felicity was on the phone with her mother, pacing a hole into the decorative carpet that laid in the middle of her room, when Thea knocked on Felicity’s open door. Felicity looked up to see her and waved her into the room.</p>
<p>"I have to go mom. No, no, everything is fine. I love you. See you soon, bye." She hung up and dropped her cellphone on her bed with a sigh.</p>
<p>"How's your mom?" Thea asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>"She's alright, she’s-" Felicity paused with another sigh and a roll of her eyes. “She’s my mother.” Thea nodded along with her in sympathetic understanding. “She misses me and is already questioning sending me here because she misses me but even she said that I shouldn’t go home yet.”</p>
<p>"Did you tell her about..." Thea made a downward stabbing motion in the air. Felicity shook her head.</p>
<p>"No, I don't want to freak her out. Or have her blame herself for sending me here." Thea nodded and extended her arms above her head to stretch.</p>
<p>"That's understandable. I wouldn't want my mom freaking out either." Felicity nervously pulled her lips in at the mention of the elusive and infamous Moira Queen. She swallowed hard before speaking.</p>
<p>"Speaking of, why haven't I met her yet?" Thea let out a hollow laugh at Felicity’s question and flung herself back onto Felicity's bed.</p>
<p>"My mother is currently in Switzerland," She said in a snotty tone. "Taking care of some <em>"Personal Bratva Business"</em>,” Thea curled her fingers in dramatic air quotes around her mother’s excuse, her eyes rolling. Felicity smiled at Thea’s theatrics and sat down on the bed next to her.</p>
<p>“She’s not on business?”</p>
<p>“I’m pretty sure she's taking a vacation with this guy, Walter. They work together and I know they’ve been seeing each other for almost year now. She thinks she’s doing such a great job at hiding her relationship from me and Ollie, but we totally know. And honestly I’m kind of mad she hasn’t officially told us yet.”</p>
<p>“Maybe she’s waiting for the right moment?” Felicity suggested, playing devil’s advocate for the woman she didn’t know.</p>
<p>“I think she hasn’t told us because once she does she has to tell him about all the Bratva stuff. Walter runs Queen Consolidated and he, like most of the employees, are kept in the dark about what we do behind closed doors. Walter seems like a good person, so he’ll probably run from us as soon as he knows.”</p>
<p>“And if he knew about the Bratva and ran…” Felicity trailed off, not wanting to say what happened to people who could be a liability out loud.</p>
<p>“The Bratva would get rid of him.” Thea finished for her with a sigh as she stared at the ceiling. There was a beat of silence as the girls sat in contemplation of the lives they lived.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Thea said, circling back around to the topic of her mother. “She'll be back in time for your party tonight, so you'll meet her there."</p>
<p>“I would say that I’m looking forward to it but from what I’ve heard your mom is kind of-”</p>
<p>“Scary? Intimidating? Cold?” Thea supplied Felicity with multiple ways to finish her sentence. Felicity gave her a small laugh.</p>
<p>“All the above.” Felicity said which had Thea smiling with a shake of her head.</p>
<p>“That’s how she comes off to other people. She has all the makings of a great Bratva Captain. She would have taken over the American branch if Ollie hadn’t risen through the ranks so fast and unintentionally stolen it out from under her.” Felicity thought that probably made for super awkward family dinners after Mr. Queen became a Captain.</p>
<p>“We also know how much the Bratva likes being a boys club.” Felicity commented. “They probably would have picked your brother no matter what.” Thea rolled her eyes at that, knowing just how much the Bratva liked to favour the men. She turned her head against the bedspread to look at Felicity.</p>
<p>"Have you seen my brother lately?"</p>
<p>Nope. It had been two days since their <em>moment</em> in the library and Felicity hadn't even seen Mr. Queen in that time. She thought that maybe her outburst of emotion had been too much for him. After all, he was only in charge of protecting her and that didn’t involve comforting her when she was sad.</p>
<p>But he had comforted her. He soothed her with his touch and insistence that she was not alone in the Queen manor. He had also shown her the library like it was a surprise gift to her. He looked as giddy as a Captain could be for her to find that copy of Little Women on the shelf.</p>
<p>She hadn't really expected him to disappear completely after they talked, and she was pretty surprised that she hadn't seen him at all for the past few days.</p>
<p>"No, the last I saw of him was the house tour.” Felicity said, shaking her head at Thea. Thea snorted.</p>
<p>"I regret suggesting that tour, I’ve barely been able to pull you out of the library for the past few days." Felicity laughed along with the other woman.</p>
<p>"Well, we’re probably guaranteed to see him tonight at the party. This is his house; he can’t miss it." Thea reached under her butt to pull her cell phone from her back pocket. She sat up abruptly as she checked the time.</p>
<p>"Oh, we need to get ready for the party!” She got to her feet and pulled Felicity up along with her. “I was thinking we should go the whole nine yards when we're getting ready. Mani's, pedi's, face masks and snacks. Lots and lots of snacks." Felicity laughed at Thea's excitement.</p>
<p>"I thought we already went the nine yards when we went shopping!" She thought back to the way Thea’s room had been turned into a department store.</p>
<p>"We did, but that was the wardrobe department, I'm talking about the beauty department." Thea gasped suddenly and grabbed Felicity’s arms which had the blonde panicking for a moment. "We could invite Sara over! I haven't seen her in ages, and I heard that she just got back from Tibet which means she’ll be coming to the party! She can get ready with us!" She gave Felicity a smile bursting with joy and all but ran for the door.</p>
<p>"I'm going to go find her number which is probably hidden somewhere in my room. I'm also going to tell Roy to ask Raisa to get usual stuff I use when I get ready for a party." Felicity watched Thea turn to Roy in the hallway who stood beside the doorframe. She gave him some instructions as she headed down the opposite end of the hallway towards her room. Roy poked his head into Felicity’s bedroom.</p>
<p>“I’m going to go find Raisa. Can I trust that you’ll stay here Miss. Smoak?” Felicity let her head drop sarcastically to the side and she gave him a tight smile.</p>
<p>“Where would I go?” Her voice held a pained sweetness to it. Roy pinched his lips together and nodded in a sympathetic grimace. He reached into the room and grabbed the door handle to close the door firmly. The moment she was alone, Felicity went over to the window and undid the latch, opening it. The faint breeze from off the water blew in and a smile spread across her face as she breathed in.</p>
<p>She'd been locked in the house for almost a week. Security had been suffocating ever since the assassination attempt and she was practically tackled anytime she even got <em>close </em>to a window. Coming to the Queen Manor had filled Felicity with the hope of having the freedom to be outside, a freedom she was denied at home and within a day, it'd been taken away from her. God she wished she were home.</p>
<p><em>But home isn't safe.</em> A voice inside her head said. A voice that sounded like Mr. Queen. A voice telling her to stay where it was safe.</p>
<p><em>But home is…home. It's where I feel safe. It has my mother and my guards who feel like my family. And my computers! My beautiful babies, at home alone in my room, probably collecting dust!</em> </p>
<p>Felicity sighed in dismay at the thought and leaned against the window frame. She looked longingly out at the window at the water as the breeze created small waves on the surface. The water shone in the sunlight like a beacon. Everything about the outdoors seemed to be calling to her, the water, the wind, the grass practically begging to be walked on barefoot. She stood for a moment, taking it all in before a faint voice broke through Felicity's peace.</p>
<p>"Help!" She jolted upright off the frame, her eyes widening and heart pounding in shock. She could barely hear it and waited a moment, her ears straining to hear any more words. She stood waiting long even that she began to doubt whether she had just heard the wind or something like that when she heard it again, just as faintly.</p>
<p>“Help!”</p>
<p>The voice sounded like it was coming from the direction of the shoreline. Her stomach dropped with the worry that someone could be in danger or injured down at the bottom of the hill, out of her sight. The water that the property backed onto was not totally private so anyone could have had a boating or swimming accident and ended up at the Queen Manor shore.</p>
<p>Without thinking about her own safety, Felicity ran out of her room, down the main staircase and out the kitchen doors that led to the backyard. She ran across the lawn, slowing to a jog at the top of the hill, surveying the area for anyone. The cry came out again, louder now that she was closer to the water. Felicity still couldn't see anyone but when she laid her eyes on the small dock that extended from the shoreline out into the water, she became worried someone was trapped under it.</p>
<p>“Miss. Smoak!” Someone yelled behind her. She turned to see Roy leaning out of her bedroom window, his expression one of confusion, panic, and disbelief. Felicity didn’t register the angry emotions on Roy’s face since she was too grateful for someone to come out and help her. She made a frantic waving motion at herself with her hand, urging him to follow her, and then turned back to the water, jogging down the hill and ignoring Roy’s pleas.</p>
<p> ***</p>
<p>Roy was too preoccupied by the whole basket of nail polish in his arms, which he looked down at in disbelief as he moved into the room, to notice that Felicity’s bedroom door was left open.</p>
<p>"Miss. Smoak, you are not going to believe the amount of nail polish Thea owns..." Roy looked up and saw that he was talking to an empty room. Roy cautiously set the basket on the floor, his comfortable demeanor shifting into his bodyguard instincts. He moved around the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary, one hand reaching around to grab the handle of the gun against his back.</p>
<p>"Miss. Smoak?" He said cautiously, rounding her bed and looking in the bathroom for her. He turned back to the rest of the room, panicking a little. A breeze drifted through the room, alerting Roy to the open window. He ran to it and saw Felicity in the yard, standing at the top of the hill. Conflicting emotions, relief that she was alive and alright, and panic that she was outside, seized his chest in one instant.</p>
<p>"Miss. Smoak!" He yelled out to her, pushing his upper body out the window. She turned and looked relieved when she saw him, gesturing for him to come outside and follow her.</p>
<p>Then she ran out of his sight.</p>
<p>"Miss. Smoak!” He yelled again, hoping she would come to her senses and get back in the house.</p>
<p>
  <em>What the hell was she doing?</em>
</p>
<p>“Damn it." Roy muttered in a panic when she didn’t return. He pulled his body back into the room and ran out into the hallway, narrowly missing Thea.</p>
<p>"Woah! What's the rush?" She asked, stepping back and out of his path as he ran down the hall. He didn’t answer her, instead he spoke into the comm that was sewn into the cuff of his suit jacket as he sprinted for the stairs.</p>
<p>“Harper to all comms, Miss. Smoak has left the house and is heading towards the water! Code 8, immediate backup required! I repeat, Miss. Smoak has left the house!”</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>
  <em>“Miss Smoak has left the house-”</em>
</p>
<p>Roy’s call over the comms sent a shock of terror up Oliver’s spine, his wide eyes flying to Diggle’s equally shocked and worried expression across his desk. Both men stood from their chairs in panic, Oliver’s chair flying back, before wheeling around to look out the window. Diggle came to quickly stand next to Oliver and they managed to catch a glimpse of the top of a blonde head moving down to the water. Oliver was running out of his office before he took his next breath.</p>
<p>"Unit one secure and lock down the house! Unit three secure the property! Unit two get outside and get her back!" He shouted into his own comm as he ran through the house to the nearest door that led outside, Diggle hot on his heels.</p>
<p>***</p>
<p>"Is there anyone out here?" Felicity called out as she moved closer to the water. She scanned the area for any signs of life but heard and saw nothing. She came to the edge of the shoreline and, becoming more desperate, pulled off her flats and tossed them aside. Keeping her balance on the small rocks that covered the ground, Felicity walked into the cold water to get a better look under the lip of the dock, biting back a whimper as the freezing temperature stung her bare skin. She picked a terrible day to wear a black skirt, her legs exposed to the cold water.</p>
<p>"Is there someone there?" She walked in further, the water coming up well past her ankles and midway up her calves. She put a hand on the dock to steady herself and leaned down to look under it. She came up empty handed. Felicity took in a nervous breath, worried that she hadn’t heard a call for help at all.</p>
<p>But she was sure she had.</p>
<p>"Miss. Smoak!" A sharp voice sounded behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Roy racing down the hill, with about a dozen other men following him. Her shoulders sagged in relief at the people coming to help her.</p>
<p>"Oh good," She said as she turned fully towards him, taking a few steps towards the shoreline, her feet sliding under the water against the rocks. Roy met her halfway when he launched himself into the water at full speed, like his life depended on it, splashing her as he rushed to her side.</p>
<p>“What the hell are you doing out here?” Roy asked, anger and incredulity soaking his tone, like he was surprised she was this stupid. He quickly put an arm around her back and attempted to herd her out of the water.</p>
<p>"I thought I heard someone calling for help," Felicity explained to Roy, which caused him to hesitate slightly. “I thought they might be under the dock.” She gestured at the dock, looking at it to convey her point.</p>
<p>This meant she didn’t see Mr. Queen, furious and fuming, barreling towards her.</p>
<p>He splashed into the water, just as Roy had, only Mr. Queen didn’t give her a choice about going back to the house. Felicity yelped in surprise as Mr. Queen grabbed her upper arm, yanking her forcefully towards him and out of Roy’s hold. He wrapped his other arm around her, plastering her to his side and lifting her a few inches off the ground and out of the water. Her toes skimmed the top of the water as he carried her out.</p>
<p>Once on the shore, he set her back on her feet, simultaneously pulling her by the arm and pushing her to bend forward with the hand he placed against her upper back, so she would be less of a target. With her secured to his side, he began to drag her up the hill and back towards the house alongside him. Diggle met them quickly and flanked Felicity’s other side, using his body to shield her.</p>
<p>The moment they were inside the kitchen and the safety of the house, Mr. Queen pulled her to stand upright, spinning her to face him while still walking. Felicity stumbled backwards, stopping when her back connected with the fridge on the other side of the room from the door. Mr. Queen held her tightly by her upper arms, crowding her against the appliance. His face was twisted with rage and Felicity leaned back away from him, pressing herself further against the fridge.</p>
<p>"Как ты можешь быть таким тупым? [How could you be so stupid?]" Mr. Queen yelled at her in harsh Russian. "Что вы думали? Я сказал, что вы не должны были покинуть дом! Вы могли бы погибнуть! [What were you thinking? I said that you were not to leave the house! You could have been killed!]" He shook her slightly for emphasis, his hands tightening.</p>
<p>“Oliver…” Diggle cautioned him from where he stood near them.</p>
<p>"What were you thinking?" Mr. Queen switched back to English, realizing he was speaking another language, one she probably didn't know well enough to understand him. "I told you to stay in the house!" He yelled at her. Felicity pulled away from him, her back sliding against the fridge, twisting in his grasp as she tried to get him to release her.</p>
<p>“Let go of me!” She shouted back as she attempted to pull herself from his hands. The overwhelming anger coming from him was too much and Felicity started to fight him as best she could with her arms pinned to her sides. She tried to hit him the best she could, pathetically whacking his arms. She twisted and turned desperately in his grasp, attempting to get him to let go but he was much stronger than her.</p>
<p>“What were you thinking?” He asked again. He was no longer yelling but his tone was still harsh. Felicity bowed her head towards the floor, turning away from him.</p>
<p>"Stop it! You're scaring me! Let go!" Felicity screamed back, fighting his hold, her eyes squeezed shut.</p>
<p>Her words were as effective as having ice water tossed on him.</p>
<p>Mr. Queen let her go like she had electrocuted him, taking a step back, and she slumped back against the fridge, her knees locking to keep her upright. She pushed her glasses up her face with a shaky hand and sniffed, finally looking up at him.</p>
<p>"I thought I heard someone calling for help. I'm sorry I left. I didn't think. I didn't mean to worry or anger you, I just-" She broke off clenching her eyes closed to keep tears away. "I just went outside to see if there was anyone in trouble." Felicity wrapped her arms around herself in comfort, her hands gripping her elbows.</p>
<p>"I'm sorry. I'll stay here in the house, I promise. I swear I'll never leave the house again." She wouldn’t look Mr. Queen in the eye, afraid of what she would see there. There was movement to her left, behind Mr. Queen that had Felicity’s eyes moving up to see Roy sheepishly move into the room. Roy placed a large, black tape recorder onto the kitchen countertop. There were two strips of crossing tape over it.</p>
<p>“I found that under the dock. It’s a recording of someone yelling ‘help’ on a loop.” Felicity’s lips parted as shame, humiliation, and the weight of her reckless and foolish action hit her like a ton of bricks.</p>
<p>“Someone was trying to get you to leave the house.” Roy said in a soft voice. She wasn’t sure if he was speaking quietly because he wanted to soften the mistake she’d made, or because he was afraid of Mr. Queen’s reaction to Roy leaving her unattended.</p>
<p>“I-” Felicity’s mouth opened and closed, no words coming out. She didn’t know what to say. Mr. Queen took in a deep, harsh breath as he stared at the tape recorder.</p>
<p>“Diggle, take Miss. Smoak to my office.” Diggle came over and placed a gentle hand on Felicity’s elbow, urging her to go with him. She complied, her head bent in shame, and did her best not to look at anyone in the room.</p>
<p>"I want a sweep of the entire property.” Mr. Queen said, addressing the rest of the men in the room. “Inform me about anything out of the ordinary. I want to know if there is someone on my property or anything else that someone might have left behind to trick us." His choice of words had Felicity stopping near the kitchen doorway and she looked back over her shoulder at him, a grateful feeling expanding in her chest. He acknowledged that Felicity had been tricked into going outside, and it made her feel a little bit better about her mistake.</p>
<p>Mr. Queen looked over and caught the glimpse of gratitude in her eyes and he gave her an almost unseen nod. Diggle continued to usher Felicity forward and she followed him out of the kitchen and down the hall. As they made their way up the stairs, Felicity felt as though Diggle’s silence was suffocating.</p>
<p>“I’m such an idiot.” Felicity said, her voice full of regret.</p>
<p>“We all make mistakes Miss. Smoak.”</p>
<p>“I went outside, without my bodyguard, after two attempts have already been made on my life.” Felicity reminded him of the severity of the situation and therefore just how stupid what she had done was.</p>
<p>“I know, but you thought someone was in trouble. You have a big heart.” He said simply with a shrug as they rounded a corner.</p>
<p>“I don’t think Mr. Queen is going to be very forgiving if that’s my excuse.” Felicity countered.</p>
<p>“He was worried about you Miss. Smoak. When we saw you disappear when we looked out the window, he was out of his office faster than I could blink. I can’t speak for Mr. Queen, but I was terrified for you.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry.” Felicity said again as they reached Mr. Queen’s office door. Diggle turned to face Felicity and took her lightly by the shoulders.</p>
<p>“I’m just glad you’re safe. Please try to stay that way.” He said with a light smile. Felicity returned his kindness with a weak smile, since that was all she could muster. He rubbed his hands over her shoulders in a comforting gesture, releasing her to open the office door. He entered the room with her, guiding her inside just as Raisa appeared with a silver tray behind them.</p>
<p>“I have brought some lemon tea for Miss. Felicity. For your nerves.” The older woman smiled warmly at Felicity and for the first time since entering the house from the water, she felt calm again. Her shoulders relaxed and she gave Raisa a stronger smile than the one she had given Diggle.</p>
<p>“Thank you.” Diggle said quietly to Raisa as he accepted the tray from her. He moved past Felicity and set it on the coffee table that sat between the two leather couches that faced each other. Raisa took that moment to give some wisdom to Felicity. She stepped forward and repeated the same gesture Diggle had, and put her hands on Felicity’s shoulders.</p>
<p>“I heard Mr. Oliver yelling at you.” Felicity took in a breath and looked down at her feet. “He should not have yelled, and I know that Mr. Diggle will speak to him about his aggression.” The Russian woman looked pointedly at Diggle over Felicity’s shoulder, who nodded at her comment. Raisa turned her attention back to Felicity, who met her eyes.</p>
<p>“Mr. Oliver yells when he gets scared. It is not right sometimes, but it is what he does. He yells when people he cares for are in danger and things are out of his control. It is not an excuse,” Raisa said, pointing a finger at Felicity to emphasize her point. “But it is why he yelled at you.” Felicity nodded minutely at the new information, understanding that Raisa was trying to help Felicity see that Mr. Queen’s outburst wasn’t her fault.</p>
<p>The door to the office opened again and Mr. Queen came in, holding a towel in one of his hands. Raisa let go of Felicity and turned around. Felicity would have met Mr. Queen’s eyes, but he was looking at Diggle, who had crossed the room to stand behind Felicity.</p>
<p>“Digg, please oversee the rest of the search of the property.” Diggle passed by Felicity, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he did, before leaving. Raisa tilted her head at Mr. Queen, her shoulders coming back as she stood straighter. Felicity couldn’t see her facial expression but whatever her face said, it made Mr. Queen shift a bit on his feet.</p>
<p>“I brought some tea for Miss. Felicity. There are two cups on the tray.” Mr. Queen nodded at her words and started forward, passing them, and headed for the couches. Raisa turned and ran her hand up and down Felicity’s upper arm a few times, which soothed the fluttering of Felicity’s heart. The woman gave her another warm smile before making her exit, closing the door softly behind her. Felicity swallowed firmly at the sound of the door clicking shut, which left her alone with Mr. Queen.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>Oliver turned from the couches to look at Felicity. She stood with her back to him, her shoulders tense under her dark green, long sleeved shirt. Oliver could tell from the look on her face when he entered the room that she was waiting for the other shoe to drop. She was waiting for him to explode like he regretfully had in the kitchen. She was waiting for him to yell again, to flip a table, or throw something breakable against a wall. She was waiting for the side of him that he hoped she would never see.</p>
<p>The anger. The aggression. The Bratva Captain.</p>
<p>He knew Felicity wasn’t an idiot. He knew she had seen many terrible things during her life in the Bratva, many of those things carried out by a Captain. He was sure she had seen horror and death, and was sure she’d seen her own father do awful, unspeakable things.</p>
<p>The thought of Felicity being witness to the horrors of their world made him want to cross the room and gather her up in his arms and hold her against him until all the bad memories went away. He wanted to whisper promises of protection, that he would keep anything from ever harming her again. He wanted to replace her bad memories with good, happy ones.</p>
<p>But Oliver knew that some of her bad memories now included him. If he tried to touch her now she would recoil from him, just as she did in the kitchen.</p>
<p>
  <em>“Stop it, you’re scaring me!”</em>
</p>
<p>Her words had been enough to stop his heart. He knew he shouldn’t have yelled or held her as tightly as he did, but he was scared. When Roy’s voice had come in over the comms and told him that Felicity was outside, without protection, a sense of fear and panic Oliver rarely felt shot through his chest and seized his heart in a vice. Then when he found her standing in the water with Roy, not moving or attempting to head back to the house, that’s when the anger took hold. It ignited through his veins and roared through his chest.</p>
<p>How could the two of them be so stupid? Why were they just <em>standing</em> there? Why wasn’t Roy lifting Felicity up and off her feet if she was resisting and carrying her back to the house? How could Felicity have so little regard for her own life? How could she not realize that being out there in the open could mean her death?</p>
<p>So Oliver had let that anger control him, causing him to grab her and drag her back up the hill to the house. The fear had burst out of him and he screamed at her, trying to get her to see how dangerous all of this was. He had held her tightly, not wanting her to go anywhere, to disappear and end up outside again, in the line of fire.</p>
<p>That was wrong.</p>
<p>She didn’t need him to yell at her or hold her like she was going to fade away in front of him. Oliver had wanted to apologize to her immediately. To drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness if he must. But the kitchen had been full of his men, who could not watch their Captain sink to his knees in front of anyone. He was still Captain Queen in that moment and the men needed to see him has such.</p>
<p>But now, with just the two of them in his office, he could just be Oliver. He could do what he could to make up for the fear he caused her. Oliver thought of the look on her face when she flinched away from him and shame dried up his mouth and throat. He licked his dry lips before attempting to speak.</p>
<p>“Miss. Smoak?” Felicity turned on the spot to face him in an instant. She stood unmoving for a moment, save for her fingers twisting the middle finger on her other hand in nervousness. The gesture hollowed out his chest. He gestured to the couch in front of him.</p>
<p>“Sit down.” Felicity immediately did as she was told, crossing the room in a heartbeat, and settled on the edge of the couch, the leather crinkling as she did. Her compliance was a clear indicator of her worry of whatever he was going to do or say next. She did as she was told because she didn’t want to make him angry again. With his heart breaking in his chest, Oliver took a step forward and sat down on the edge of the coffee table in front of her.</p>
<p>Felicity didn’t meet his eyes and instead stared at the small space between her knees and his. Oliver scooted forward, spreading his legs so hers were between his. His forearms came to rest on his thighs as he settled, the towel he brought with him dangling in his hands. Felicity continued to twist her middle fingers, waiting for him to speak. He wanted to place his hand over hers to make her stop, but he knew that stopping the movement would not stop what she was feeling.</p>
<p>“Miss. Smoak?” His voice was quiet and level, not quite soft but nowhere near harsh. Felicity didn’t answer, waiting for him to continue but he didn’t because he wanted her to look at him. After a moment she let her eyes drift up to his. He kept his face impassive, not indicating anything of what he felt on the inside, which was a voice screaming ‘<em>Please forgive me!’.</em></p>
<p>Felicity took a deep breath in through her nose, steeling herself and straightening her spine. He knew she expecting him to tell her how much she messed up and what the consequences would be for going outside. Scolding her was the last thing Oliver wanted to do, so instead he did what he could.</p>
<p>“May I touch your legs?” Felicity’s head came up in surprise, her wide eyes meeting his. Whatever she thought he was going to say, it wasn’t that.</p>
<p>“Yes.” She said slowly, confused, her eyebrows coming together in the middle. Oliver didn’t respond, instead he reached down between them and encircled her left calf in his large hands, lifting it off the ground. One hand was covered with the towel he had and held the back of her calf while the other slid down to rest behind her bare ankle.</p>
<p>He could do this. He could use the towel to clean the remaining water from her legs, warm her skin from the cold. He could take care of her.</p>
<p>Oliver focused on his task and began to rub the towel over her leg, from the edge of her skirt, to the tips of her toes. He knew her legs had mostly dried while being in the house, but he wanted to do this, he <em>needed</em> to do this. Caring for Felicity was something he could control, and the task grounded him.</p>
<p>She watched silently as he worked determinedly, running the soft material over her skin, removing any water that was left. He gently set her left leg down and Felicity raised her right one in response, knowing where he was going next.</p>
<p>That gesture relieved him in ways he couldn’t express.</p>
<p>She willingly let him touch her and offered her leg to him. Oliver gratefully took her leg in his hands, her soft skin a contrast to his callused palms. As he repeated the same actions on this leg, Felicity spoke up.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” She confessed in a small voice. Oliver’s movements slowed, but didn’t stop, and he waited to see what she would say next. His constant silence had the words rushing out of Felicity.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I went outside. I know it was stupid and I didn’t think, but I thought someone was hurt or in trouble and I was worried-”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” The insecure question flew past Oliver’s lips before he could stop himself, his hands halting, and his desperate eyes flew to hers.</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“Why didn’t you tell anyone that you thought someone was hurt outside? Why didn’t you find someone to go with you?”</p>
<p><em>Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you tell me something was wrong? Do you not trust me?</em> A needy voice asked her in his head, pleading for her to open up to him.</p>
<p>
  <em>Of course she doesn’t trust you, you’re a Bratva Captain.</em>
</p>
<p>This voice was darker, one that sounded disturbingly like his own. Felicity faltered at the question, her mouth opening but no sound coming out.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think. Which I know for me is saying something because I always think, I think a lot and one might say I overthink, and it should have really crossed my mind how dangerous it was to go outside and I can’t tell you how sorry I am-”</p>
<p>“Stop apologizing Miss. Smoak.” Oliver interrupted her spewing of words, as he calmly went back to his task of drying her leg. He knew her nervous rambling was because she was still afraid of what he would do next and he wanted to assure her that he wasn’t going to do any of the things she might be imagining. The fear he knew she must be feeling made it difficult for him to look her in the eye, so he focused on her leg.</p>
<p>“You were tricked, plain and simple. This is a lesson you learn. I hope you realize now that I have our rules for a reason.” Felicity nodded slowly in understanding, her teeth coming down to nibble at her bottom lip.</p>
<p>“Speaking of, what’s my punishment?” Oliver’s hands involuntarily squeezed her leg at the sound of her question, his heart skipping a beat painfully in his chest. Punishment was what she expected of him, what she imagined he called her to the office to discuss. His throat dried up as he thought of how low Felicity must have thought of him. Not that he had done much to be seen honorable and kind in her eyes.</p>
<p>“Punishment?” He asked, his voice sounding low and course. His eyes slid back up to her waiting gaze, catching sight of her rosy cheeks and bitten lip, which she released to speak.</p>
<p>“I-I went outside, I disobeyed your orders, so I assumed that there would be some kind of punishment.” Oliver didn’t want to punish her and even if he did, what could he possibly do? She had been right when they had spoken about the rules on her second day at the manor, she was already stuck in the house with nothing to do and nowhere to go, there wasn’t really anything Oliver could do as a punishment. Maybe banning her from the library but the thought of taking that small piece of joy from her would be torture for him. Felicity would hate him, and he couldn’t have that.</p>
<p>He watched her now, her expectant stare and her slightly elevated breathing showing him how uneasy she was. Oliver took a smooth breath in through his nose and swallowed, attempting to relieve dryness of his throat. Felicity’s eyes shifted down to watch his neck muscles move as he did, and she slowly pulled her bottom lip back between her teeth, almost like an absentminded reaction. Oliver waited curiously for her eyes to drift back to his. When he finally had her attention again, he licked his lips, preparing to speak, only to see Felicity catch sight the movement.</p>
<p>Oliver swore he saw her eyes darken.</p>
<p>When she looked at him again, she sucked in a breath, her teeth pressing harder into her beautiful pink lip. Oliver was starting to wonder if the uneasiness he saw radiating off her wasn’t brought on by his earlier aggression, but rather by something else.</p>
<p>“Punishment…” Oliver breathed, his voice somehow coming out even courser than before, despite his efforts. “Did you,” One hand let go of the towel and slid slowly up the back of her calf as he spoke, igniting sparks across his fingertips, their eyes locked.</p>
<p>“Have something in mind?” When his fingers brushed the back of her knee, Felicity’s breath hitched involuntarily, her teeth releasing her lip to part in surprise. Oliver froze at the sound, watching her intently, waiting to see what she would do. Felicity leaned forward a fraction and Oliver couldn’t look away, her eyes pulled him in like a siren song. She kept inching forward, occasionally hesitating but ultimately deciding to keep leaning closer. Her heated gaze had Oliver’s hands twitching against her leg.</p>
<p>Oliver suddenly looked down at his hand in that moment, and he blinked in surprise, staring at where it rested near the hem of her skirt. Oliver realized that he hadn’t really been aware of what he had been doing and he came back to his senses, realizing what he was doing and who he was doing it with.</p>
<p>Oliver immediately straightened, pulling back, and dropping that hand from her leg entirely. The other hand lowered her leg to set her foot back on the floor. He straightened his shoulders and held his head up, sliding himself back into his Captain persona.</p>
<p>“I’m not going to punish you. I saw the look on your face when you realized you’d been tricked Miss. Smoak, I think that humiliation is punishment enough.” He turned to the silver tray that Raisa left behind to pour her a cup of tea, but didn’t miss the momentarily stunned look on Felicity’s face as she also realized what she had been doing. Oliver turned back to her, gently setting the hot cup into her waiting hands. Oliver poured some tea for himself before facing Felicity again. Her cup and hands rested in her lap.</p>
<p>“You should drink the tea Miss. Smoak, it’ll warm you up.” Oliver took a small sip of his own tea, before resting his forearms on his knees, his cup warming his palms. He looked at her an impassive face, trying his hardest to keep his Captain mask in place. He watched Felicity bring her cup to her lips, taking a reassuring sip, before lowering it back into her lap. She didn’t look at him, instead stared at her reflection in the cup, her thumb rubbing along the rim.</p>
<p>“Don’t be too hard on yourself Miss. Smoak.” He advised, hoping to ease the internal struggle her could see etched into her frame. She huffed out a small breath through her nose, her mouth flinching into an unconvincing small, still staring at her cup.</p>
<p>“I just hate that I caused other people distress.” Felicity confessed, her eyes fliting up to Oliver’s confused expression. “Digg said that he was terrified when she saw me outside.” She clarified.</p>
<p>“I was too.” Oliver admitted, the words coming out before he could stop them. “I’m just glad you’re alright.” His sincere words seemed to calm her as he watched her expression softened. Felicity visibly relaxed, her shoulders lowering. She lifted her cup to her lips and took another sip before speaking again.  </p>
<p>“So, what now?” She asked, licking her lips before lowering her tea. Oliver tilted his head, his fingers shifting against his own cup.</p>
<p>“Now you go and get ready for the party.” Felicity startled slightly, not expecting him to say that.</p>
<p>“The party? Isn’t it canceled?”</p>
<p>“No, it’s too late to cancel and besides, I won’t be scared by a tape recorder. Canceling would be-”</p>
<p>“A sign of weakness.” Felicity finished for him, completely understanding. She nodded and sat back. “Right.” He could see some hesitation in her face and he wanted to ease it.</p>
<p>“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can tell the guests that you became sick.” She shook her head fervently at the suggestion.</p>
<p>“No, no I’ll go. I wouldn’t want to look weak in front of the Bratva.” There was a hint of teasing in her voice, and Oliver knew she didn’t care what the Bratva thought of her. Felicity constantly showed him that she was brave in her heart and mind. She leaned forward to place her forearms on her knees, mirroring his stance.</p>
<p>“I also don’t want anyone to think there is any weakness in your house.” A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.</p>
<p>“Concerned about what people think about me?” Oliver matched her teasing tone and her eyes shone with amusement. There was a timid knock at the door and their moment ended. Oliver rose from the table to face the door, angling his body to shield Felicity.</p>
<p>“Come in.” The door opened quietly, and Roy stepped into the room. He had his usual, blank bodyguard stare on his face, but there was something about his eyes that made him look like a kicked puppy. He must have still been feeling the effects from Oliver’s verbal lashing when Felicity left the kitchen. Roy came forward until her stood at attention with his shoulders back and his hands clasped behind his back a few feet from Oliver. He remained silent, waiting for instructions.</p>
<p>“As discussed,” Oliver started, a lethal tone to his voice. “You are to continue to be Miss. Smoak’s bodyguard. You are not to let her out of your sight <em>at all</em>. We were lucky today. If <em>anything</em> like this ever happens again, we will be taking a trip to the interrogation room downstairs.” Roy stiffened at the threat, his back going even more rigid.</p>
<p>“Yes sir.” Roy responded. Oliver turned his upper body to look down at Felicity on the couch.</p>
<p>“You can go get ready for the party with Thea now.” Felicity nodded, setting her cup back on the silver tray before standing. She moved past him towards the door, Roy eagerly following close behind. As she left, Felicity gave him one last, unreadable look over her shoulder before slipping out of the room.</p>
<p>**</p>
<p>When they were alone in one of the upstairs hallways, Felicity stepped in front of Roy stopping him where he stood.</p>
<p>"I'm so sorry," She said in a wavering voice, her face full of regret. "I know what I did was dumb, and I didn't think, I just acted and now Mr. Queen is punishing you for my mistake-" Felicity was close to hysterics and Roy raised one hand calmly, silencing her.</p>
<p>"It's okay Miss. Smoak.” His face and tone held no emotion and it was like a punch in her gut.</p>
<p>“Roy, you can be honest with me, Mr. Queen isn’t around.” She reasoned, her tone bordering on pleading. Roy shook his head, his face impassive still.</p>
<p>“I let the lines between us blur too much Miss. Smoak. I crossed too far into friendship with you and it’s my fault you risked your life.” Felicity hated the robot in front of her that wore her friends face and his words left a look of disgust on her face.</p>
<p>"Oh my god! You're okay!" Thea shouted behind Felicity as she ran down the hall towards them. Felicity shook her head as though to shake away the turning of her stomach and Roy’s new view of their friendship. She turned just in time to catch Thea as she flung herself into Felicity’s arms.</p>
<p>"You scared me! I watched the whole thing from your bedroom window. I'm sorry Ollie was such an ass, being rough with you like that. I'll be sure to give him a swift kick in the ass next time I see him." Thea said into her shoulder. Felicity pulled back, still feeling guilty and terrible.</p>
<p>"It's fine Thea, no need for any ass kicking. I scared him." Thea sighed but didn't argue.</p>
<p>“He tends to yell when he gets scared. I’ve found hugging him helps. Although I don’t know if you should do that with him. Unless…” Thea raised a cheeky eyebrow at Felicity but noticing the melancholy look on her face, she got the feeling now wasn’t the time for jokes. Thea looked past Felicity to the stone-faced Roy.</p>
<p>"Are you okay?" She asked, confused by his expression. Roy nodded, expression grim.</p>
<p>"Yes Thea.” His short answer had Thea throwing a puzzled look Felicity's way. Felicity rolled her eyes in defeat, shaking her head. Thea shrugged at Felicity’s unhappy reaction, linking their arms together to pull her down the hall towards Felicity’s room. The women left Roy in the hall at his post and found Raisa in her room.</p>
<p>"Hi Raisa," Felicity greeted the older woman, who smiled softly back at her as she laid the girls gowns on the bed.</p>
<p>"How do you feel now Miss. Felicity?" Raisa asked, moving over to her.</p>
<p>“The tea was very soothing. So was the conversation I had with Mr. Queen. But I still feel like a fool for going outside.” Raisa smiled softly at Felicity's statement and gently guided her to the vanity and sat her down.</p>
<p>“You have a big heart Miss. Felicity. You only thought of the person who might have been in trouble. You did not think of your own safety. It can be dangerous to do that, care too much. But you have a big heart and that is good." Felicity thought softly for a moment.</p>
<p>"My mother used to tell me that I came to trust people too easily. That one day I would regret it. One day I would trust someone and it would come back to haunt me." Thea waved her hand in front of her, as if to brush away Felicity's words.</p>
<p>"You're fine, the only people you need to trust now are the people in this house. And we're already all family. Bratva before blood." Raisa nodded along with Thea’s words.</p>
<p>"Да, мы семья."[Yes, we are a family] She said kindly, patting Felicity's shoulder. Thea perched herself on the edge of Felicity's bed.</p>
<p>"So, are we going to ready for the party or what? We have Raisa to help with everything." Thea reached down and grabbed the basket of nail polish. "Pick your poison, Felicity. We have every colour you could dream of." Felicity laughed easily, her guilty conscious relieving almost completely.</p>
<p> **</p>
<p>While Felicity was carefully painting her toenails gold, Thea painting hers red, and Raisa was preparing the face masks, there was a knock at the door. Thea squealed at the sound and hobbled to the door, careful to not smudge her wet toenails. She threw the door open and squealed a little more, launching herself at the person on the other side.</p>
<p>"Jesus, Thea, way to break my eardrums." A sultry but happy voice said from the hallway. Thea pulled back and dragged a blonde woman into the room. She wore a black leather jacket and tight jeans, which showed off her amazingly shaped body. She carried a small leather bag and wore a smile.</p>
<p>"Miss. Sara," Raisa said, rounding the bed to hug the young woman. "It is good to see you again."</p>
<p>"You too Raisa, you're looking well." The woman complimented before she looked over to the vanity where Felicity was seated. "You must be the new addition to the house." Felicity's stood and hobbled over on the heels of her feet just like Thea had.</p>
<p>"I'm Felicity Smoak." She said, extending a hand.</p>
<p>"Sara Lance." The woman answered, shaking Felicity's hand.</p>
<p>"Lance..." Felicity said slowly. "That name rings a bell." She backed up carefully and dropped onto the vanity chair.</p>
<p>"It makes sense if it is. My father is a detective in the SCPD, my mother is a professor at Central City University and my sister's a lawyer." Thea nodded at Sara’s explanation, sitting back down on the bed.</p>
<p>"Decorated police officer, award winning biologist and big shot lawyer, Sara's got a killer family."</p>
<p>"Actually, I'm the only killer in the family. The family disappointment." Sara said in a disdained voice as she sat down heavily on the edge of the bed. Felicity huffed out a laugh at Sara’s mocking tone, the title she gave herself sounding like something her family had actually called her, as Thea wrapped an arm around her friends shoulders.</p>
<p>"A disappointment to them but the accomplishment of this family. Bratva before blood, Sara. We're your family now."</p>
<p>"Besides," Felicity jumped in. "We’ve all had to do things to survive in this kind of life.” Her words seemed to bring comfort to Sara, who offered her a grateful smile.</p>
<p>"No more talk of killing and Bratva business, I want to start looking sexy." Thea crowed, jumping up and grabbing Sara’s hand. She walked over to her closet with Sara in tow. "I can't wait to get Felicity all dressed up!"</p>
<p>"Wait, why is it so important you get me all fancy?" Felicity asked.</p>
<p>"Because," Thea said, exasperated. "As your new friend I have also taken on the job of your wing woman. I want those Bratva men to be begging to have you dance with them." Felicity rolled her eyes.</p>
<p>"Please do not try and set me up with any of them. They’re brutes.” Felicity groaned. Thea pursed her lips, a mischievous glint in her eye.</p>
<p>“Do you have someone in mind Thea?" Sara asked, recognizing the look on the other girl’s face. Thea bit her lip to keep herself from answering the question. "Thea..." Sara pressed, a playful smile spreading over her face.</p>
<p>"I’ve noticed the way my brother looks at you." Thea blurted out, a glorious smile bursting over her face. Felicity's mouth dropped open, her cheeks flaming.</p>
<p>"Me...and Mr. Queen?” She sputtered. “He doesn’t look at me in any way.” Felicity said, trying to sound convincing. She didn’t know if she was trying to convince Thea or herself.</p>
<p>“Oh he does.” Thea confirmed, looking over to Sara to explain. “Sometimes he looks at her like she’s the only person in the room, other times, like at dinner her first night, he looks at her like he wants to eat her alive.” Thea waggled her eyebrows and Felicity was sure her entire face was red.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean anything-”</p>
<p>"He also apparently listens to you, you don't back down when he gets all growly, and frankly I’ve always found broody jerks falling for cute little rays of sunshine very adorable."</p>
<p>"So you want me to get all dressed up to, what?” Felicity asked doubtfully.</p>
<p>"I want you to look so amazingly gorgeous that it knocks Ollie off his feet and onto his knees.” Felicity squirmed a bit at the thought of a Bratva Captain kneeling at her feet.</p>
<p>"I brought a suit to wear but I need somewhere to change.” Sara interjected into the conversation, changing the subject as the sight of Felicity's obvious discomfort. </p>
<p>"You can change in the bathroom Did you bring any makeup?” Thea asked and Sara shook her head. “I’ll go grab some stuff from my room.” Thea said, abandoning the conversation she had been having with Felicity, and headed for the door. Felicity spun around on the vanity seat to face the mirror and began to brush her hair.</p>
<p>The thought of Mr. Queen kneeling before her, having that kind of power over such a ruthless member of the Bratva, sent a shiver down her spine. The image of Mr. Queen on his knees before her, looking up at her as though waiting for instructions or permission to-</p>
<p>Felicity shut that thought down as fast as Sara had shut down the earlier conversation. She was very grateful for the other woman.</p>
<p>
  <em>I feel like I know her name from somewhere. I must have heard the name Lance before because it belongs to a detective in Starling. </em>
</p>
<p>Felicity sighed to herself, unsure.</p>
<p>
  <em>I can't shake this feeling that I know that name from somewhere. The name Lance seems so familiar…</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>Next!</strong>
</p>
<p>-The Party!</p>
<p>-Three new, unexpected/uninvited guests</p>
<p>-Even more jealous Mr. Queen oops I mean, "protective"</p>
<p>-Felicity meets Moira (dramatic music plays)</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please let me know what you think! Comments feed my soul!!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Save Me a Dance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>-The Party!<br/>-Three new, unexpected/uninvited guests<br/>-Even more jealous Mr. Queen oops I mean, "protective"<br/>-Felicity meets Moira (dramatic music plays)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Wow, this is a very late update, sorry about that. Between juggling school, work and my health, sitting down to write has been hard (especially since I don't want what I post to be garbage).</p><p>Reminder: Thea’s bodyguard is named Peter</p><p>Felicity’s dress note: I couldn’t find a dress that matched what I imagined, so combine the dresses in the links together with the description from the 4th chapter to get an idea of what it looks like </p><p>I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm very excited about the next one (and I'm sure once you read the Next! portion, you will be too ;) )</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/449374869074440923/">Moira's Dress</a>
</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/562879653425706553/">Sara's Outfit (in black and without the accessories)</a>
</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/449374869074441000/">Thea's Dress</a>
</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/449374869074441042/">Felicity's Dress (1)</a>
</p><p>
  <a href="https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/449374869074440944/">Felicity's Dress (2)</a>
</p><p> </p><p>Felicity sat at her vanity mirror and watched Sara in the reflection as she put her diamond earrings on. Sara was reaching behind her neck to do the clasp of her gold necklace, which hung a couple inches down her chest. She was wearing a crisp black suit with no shirt underneath the suit jacket, which buttoned up enough to hide her chest. Her hair hung loosely to her shoulders but was pinned flat on the right side of her head to show her ear. Sara began putting in her small gold hoop earrings when she noticed Felicity watching.</p><p>"Great suit right?"</p><p>"It looks fantastic on you. I love your heels." Felicity smiled at the other woman as she glanced down at her gold heels.</p><p>"Don't let my girlfriend hear you giving me such a nice compliment, she gets jealous very easily." Sara said with a sly smile as she walked over to where Felicity sat.</p><p>"Is she back in Tibet?" Felicity asked, remembering Thea mentioned that was where Sara just returned from. Sara nodded as she reached past Felicity to pick up her matching white diamond necklace.</p><p>"I was visiting her home. I'm pretty sure her father likes me, except for the fact I'm a dating his daughter. I think that's the only bone he has to pick with me." Felicity smiled softly.</p><p>"Who cares about the parents? As long as she loves you, I think you're good." Sara smiled.</p><p>"I like you." She stated, looking at Felicity in the reflection. She gathered up Felicity’s hair and brushed it over one of her shoulders. "I spoke with Ollie about you actually, he says you're stubborn." Felicity scoffed at the statement, rolling her eyes.</p><p>"That's ironic, coming from him." Sara laughed lightly, reaching over Felicity’s head with the ends of the necklace in both hands to drape it over collarbones.</p><p>"Touché. He can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but deep down, he's got a big soft spot for his family." Sara commented as she did the clasp of the necklace against the back of Felicity’s neck, her eyes occasionally flicking up to meet hers in the mirror.</p><p>"You know him that well?"</p><p>"Yup," She said, looking at Felicity in the mirror fully once the necklace was secure. "I know him intimately.” Sara smiled wide and knowingly.</p><p>“Meaning…?” Felicity asked, her head tilting, though she could already guess what Sara was insinuating. Felicity began to gather up her hair, twisting it into a bun at the back of her head. Her hair was parted off center which gave the front of her hairstyle an elegant swoop.</p><p>“Meaning Mr. Queen and I have shared what I would call a ‘friends with benefits’ situation. No feelings, just scratching that itch, you know?”</p><p>"Ew, gross, Sara, that's my brother you're talking about.” Thea said, emerging from the bathroom, her short, sparkling red dress clinging to her body. “I don't need to be reminded that there was a point in time when you were screwing him." She walked past them smoothly in her tall heels. The dress came up high around the base of Thea’s neck and it had long sleeves, but it was jaw droppingly short, with two cut outs over each side of her waist, showing some of her skin.</p><p>"On the subject of your brother, do you really think you can enter a ballroom full of men, Bratva men no less, with a dress like that and not get a scolding from him?" Sara asked, eyebrow raised. Thea rolled her eyes as she picked up a pair of dangly silver earrings from the bed.</p><p>"I can convince my brother of a lot of things, like making him agree that my dress is the best in the room.” Thea flashed the women an award winning smile. “Besides, no man would be dumb enough to try anything in Oliver’s house. Not unless they wanted to have their limbs removed.” Thea stuck in her earrings in and walked over to them.</p><p>"I doubt I have to worry about my brother. Now come on," Thea shook her hair out, fluffing it up as she looked at herself in the mirror. "We have a party to get to." She stated, the other women smiling at her boldness. Thea sauntered over to the door and flung it open, seeing Roy standing guard on the other side. He went slack jawed at the sight of the three women, despite his attempt to keep his composure and school his features. Although Felicity was sure his look of awe was mostly directed at Thea.</p><p>"You don't look too bad yourself, handsome." Thea said with a wink as she turned and made her way down the hall with the others close behind.</p><p>**</p><p>Oliver stood in the main foyer, greeting guests as they arrived while also keeping an eye on the main staircase for his sister, Sara, and Felicity. His eyes kept glancing upward, wanting to catch them before they got to the ballroom so he could escort them in. Oliver wanted to keep an especially close eye on Felicity. As the guest of honor, Oliver guessed she was going to be very popular, and have a full dance card. He wanted to make sure none of the men got too bold or handsy with her.</p><p>He was going to keep an eye on her because it was his job, not because the thought of any of the Bratva men putting their hands on her made his chest tighten with irritation.</p><p>Definitely not that.</p><p>“Hey,” Tommy said to Oliver’s right, alerting him to his presence. Oliver turned only slightly, wanting to keep the staircase within his line of sight. “Great turn out.” Tommy commented, glancing at the many people who filed into the house.</p><p>“Mhmm,” Oliver hummed his agreement, his eyes moving back to glance at the stairs. Tommy noticed his best friends split concentration and moved forward to catch his eye.</p><p>“Hey, I reminded Thea that you’d want to walk her and the girls to the ballroom.” Tommy said, hoping his friend would give him full attention at that reassurance. Oliver gave him a deadpan expression.</p><p>“Do you honestly think that Thea won’t try to sneak past me given the chance?” Tommy thought about it for half a second, pressing his lips together before shrugging in agreement.</p><p>“Good point. In that case, can we stand at the bottom of the stairs so I can have an actual conversation with you?”</p><p>“I have to greet my guests Tommy. It’s part of being a good host.”</p><p>“What if the conversation is about Felicity?” That immediately got Oliver’s attention. He took his friend by the elbow and steered him to his right, moving until they stood at the bottom of the staircase near the wall. Oliver faced Tommy and the stairs, stepping close to keep their conversation private.</p><p>“What about Miss. Smoak?” Oliver prompted, worry twisting his stomach.</p><p>“I heard through the grape vine that you yelled at her today.” Oliver was hit with a wave of relief. “And that you talked to her in your office.” The statement instantly brought Oliver back to a few hours earlier, when he sat on the edge of the coffee table in his office, his hands moving up Felicity’s leg as she leaned towards him. Oliver had quickly come to realize that the uneasiness he thought he had seen in her was actually anticipation and a nervousness that had nothing to do with his outburst in the kitchen.</p><p>“Did you apologize?” Tommy asked, bringing him back to the moment.</p><p>“Not…exactly.”</p><p>“Unless you said the words ‘I’m sorry, it’ll never happen again’ then you didn’t apologize.” Tommy chastised him, knowing that his friend had a habit of letting his emotions rule his actions in the heat of a moment. Oliver shifted on his feet, looking down for a split second, which confirmed Tommy’s suspicions.</p><p>“You need to apologize Oliver.” Tommy pushed, leaning pointedly towards his friend. Oliver sighed out through his nose, his shoulders tensing. He knew his friend was right, and while he made sure Felicity didn’t blame herself for what happened, he never said sorry for his aggression.</p><p>“I know, I-” Movement behind Tommy caught Oliver’s eye and he looked up and over to see the women descending the staircase. He momentarily registered the boldness of Thea’s outfit, which he would speak to her about, but his eyes were immediately drawn to Felicity. His face smoothed as his expression blanked, the vision of her stealing his breath and the rest of his words.</p><p>One of her hands slid over the banister to help keep her balance while the other held up the dark green material of her skirt. She was listening to something Sara was saying, a bright smile lighting up her face as she nodded along to the conversation. Her makeup was simple but elegant, her lips painted a beautiful, barely there pink. A loose curl had fallen out of the bun she had put her hair into, and it swayed against her face as she carefully came down the stairs. Oliver began to rub his thumb and forefinger together as he fought the overwhelming urge to reach forward and tuck the stray hair behind her ear. The bodice of her dress clung to her figure, pushing her breasts against the fabric, and Oliver sucked in a breath at the sight, forcing himself to look up to her face as she came to the last couple steps.</p><p>Without thinking, Oliver wordlessly stepped around Tommy, coming to standing in front of Felicity, and offered his hand to her. She finally looked away from Sara to meet his eyes before falling to his waiting hand. She let go of the banister and graciously accepted his support, her cheekbones turning a faint pink, as she came down the last couple steps to the foyer. Oliver barely stepped back as Felicity’s feet came to the floor, her hand still in his and their chests only inches apart. Oliver was too preoccupied with staring down at Felicity’s blue eyes to notice the enthused look that Thea and Sara shared with each other.</p><p>“Good Evening Mr. Queen.” Felicity said politely in a quiet tone, speaking only to him.</p><p>“Good Evening Miss. Smoak,” Oliver replied, just as quietly. “You look beautiful.” He breathed, speaking honestly. Felicity’s mouth turned up into an appreciative smile, while her cheeks flushed.</p><p>“Thank you, you don’t look too bad yourself.” She responded as she boldly looked him up and down. Felicity’s eyes trailed back up to his face and he saw no shame in her eyes for blatantly checking him out, although she did bite at the inside of her lip.</p><p>"Good evening ladies, you all look wonderful." Tommy said, catching their attention with smirk, the pair turning to face him. As Felicity moved more to stand next to him, Oliver had to release her hand, much to his dismay, so he instead placed it lightly against the middle of her back. It didn’t escape Oliver’s attention when Felicity shifted her weight backwards, pushing his hand more firmly against her.</p><p>"Thank you Tommy," Thea said, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder to kiss his cheek. "Your flattery is always appreciated." He smiled at her in return before throwing a wink at Sara.</p><p>“Lance, long time, no see! You look, frankly, sexy as hell.” Tommy said boldly, flashing a grin that had no effect on Sara whatsoever. She threw him an unimpressed look, but there was a hint of amusement behind her eyes.</p><p>"Watch yourself Merlyn, I have a girlfriend who would love to kick your ass if she saw you anywhere near me."</p><p>"Oh really? Why is that?"</p><p>"Your reputation spans the globe Tommy, you get around. She knows exactly who you are." Sara laughed. "I think she's afraid you'll try something on me." Tommy laughed at the suggestion.</p><p>"Doesn't she know that you are very capable of kicking my ass?"</p><p>"Of course, but she still worries." Sara patted Tommy's shoulder and breezed past him with an arm linked with Thea as they attempted to head towards the ballroom.</p><p>“Wait.” Oliver commanded, his tone firm but calm. The two women stopped, Sara biting her lip to hide a knowing smile, well aware Oliver would not like her amusement of the situation, while Thea winced, her body tensing. Oliver abandoned his post next to Felicity to advance on his sister.</p><p>“Thea-”</p><p>“I know what you’re going to say,” She started, whipping around to face him. “You don’t approve of my outfit and you want me to go change. My answer is no. This is the dress I picked and it’s your own fault for not asking to see it for approval first.” Thea countered before Oliver could even argue, turning the blame onto him.</p><p>“Thea,” Oliver said lowly. “That dress is too short to be wearing in a room full of Bratva men.” Thea rolled her eyes at him, obviously not caring. He sucked in a breath, attempting to calm his agitation as he tried a different approach. “Thea I’m just trying to protect you. You know it would kill me if something happened to you.” His said, his tone softening. He was being honest, and it had his desired effect. Thea’s shoulders fell in defeat.</p><p>“I know, I know.” She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Maybe the Bratva should spend more time teaching their members to respect women rather than policing what we wear in an attempt to maybe keep them from attacking us.” Thea spat bitterly.</p><p>“Amen.” Sara praised next to her, giving the younger woman an approving nod. Oliver glared at Sara, who simply shrugged.</p><p>Thea was right. Of course she was. Oliver knew that it didn’t matter what she wore, the men would hurt her if they wanted to or had the opportunity. He wished sometimes that he could punch some of the men until they saw how vile, disgusting, and monstrous their thoughts and actions were, because his protests at meetings always fell on deaf ears. The men would do whatever they wanted and that was that.</p><p>However, Oliver had made it clear that if anyone ever laid a finger on his sister or mother, the last thing they would see is the barrel of Oliver’s gun. He knew no one would be bold or stupid enough to try something in his own house, with all of his men keeping an eye on his family. Oliver sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to move the unmovable object that was Thea when she was upset.</p><p>“I know that you’re right. And believe me if I could change their minds I would.” Thea shifted on her feet, also realizing that Oliver was right too. “Since I know I can’t make you go upstairs and change, short of dragging you up there myself, I’d like to set some rules for tonight.” His tone made it sound like he was offering her a choice but if she stayed in that dress, the rules were nonnegotiable. When Thea didn’t protest, he continued.</p><p>“Your bodyguard will stay with you at all times. If you are invited to dance, he will watch you the entire time. If you ever feel like you need him to get you away from someone you’re with because you don’t feel safe, motion for him to come get you. He’ll make an excuse about me needing to talk to you. Sara should stay with you at all times too,” He looked over at Sara, who nodded firmly, her face set in fierce determination as she shifted into her Bratva solider mode.</p><p>“Stay in the ballroom where my men can keep an eye on you. If you have to leave the room for any reason you do not go without Peter <em>and</em> Sara. I’ll have Digg get Sara a set of comms to wear.” Oliver finished, looking pointedly at his sister for a response. She sighed out her nose with a huff of air, her lips forming a pout like a petulant child.</p><p>“Fine. Sounds reasonable enough.” Thea caved reluctantly, tightening her arms across her chest.</p><p>“Good.” Oliver said, his tension abating ever so slightly, knowing that Thea would do as he asked. Thea looked up at him, her face still wearing an expression of dissatisfaction.</p><p>“Can I go now?” She asked mockingly, knowing full well she could just go if she wanted.</p><p>“One more thing.” Oliver said, stepping closer and setting his hands lightly on her shoulders. He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. He pulled back to smile softly at her, feeling the anger in her melt under his hands.</p><p>“You look beautiful Thea.” She gave him a small, thankful smile.</p><p>“Well, I definitely look hotter than you.” Thea verbally jabbed at him, a teasing note to her voice. Oliver dropped his hands heavily with a sigh and a look of annoyance, with just a touch of amusement. Thea smiled at breaking through Oliver’s firm exterior. She reached out and linked arms with Sara again, the two women heading to the ballroom with Theas bodyguard, Peter, right behind them.</p><p>Oliver turned back to Felicity and Tommy, seeing Roy was correctly hovering between Felicity and the rest of the foyer. Felicity was in deep conversation with his best friend, the two of them not paying any attention to the Queen sibling stand-off. Felicity looked concerned by something Tommy was saying, his best friend looking quite somber. Felicity said something to him in return, talking with her hands flying in front of her before she rested one flat on Tommy’s chest, over his heart.</p><p>A flare of jealousy roared through Oliver at sight of the touch, his jaw clenching as he forced the possessive feeling down in his chest. She didn’t belong to him, and she was clearly just being kind to Tommy.</p><p>Oliver made his way back over, the jealousy building back up as he watched Tommy laugh quietly before placing his hand over hers on his chest, and then taking it to hold. He waggled his index finger at her in a mocking reprimand and Felicity laughed with him. The easy intimacy between them caused a longing feeling to claw inside of him, begging to have Felicity act so easily with him.</p><p>**</p><p>“Wait.” Mr. Queen ordered for Thea and Sara to stop, which they did, not turning around. Sara looked over her shoulder at them, her lip bitten between her teeth as her eyes gleamed knowingly. Thea froze, waiting for her brother’s scolding. Sara’s expression obviously bothered Mr. Queen as Felicity felt his fingers flinch reflexively against her back before he pulled his hand away to walk over to her friends. Like every other time Mr. Queen had placed his hands on her, she found she missed the warmth of that protective touch.</p><p>The conversation between the Queen siblings was happening too far out of her earshot for her to listen in to what was probably a very good verbal sparring match, so she turned her attention to the other left behind guest. Felicity looked at Tommy and caught him looking nervously at something over her shoulder.</p><p>"Is everything okay?" She asked, her eyebrows coming together in confusion and concern. Tommy, from what she had seen and experienced from him, was always happy and vibrant. Something he was seeing was obviously shaking him.</p><p>"Yeah," Tommy said, nodding but not looking at her. "Of course."</p><p>"Really?" Felicity raised an eyebrow, turning her upper body to look over her shoulder at the entrance to the house. Tommy’s hand flashed out and grabbed her upper arm, forcing her back around to face him.</p><p>"It's nothing." He said with forced nonchalance. His grip on her arm and slight panic in his eye had her guessing it was the opposite.</p><p>"Tommy..." Felicity gave him an anxious look. He sighed and relented, realizing she wasn’t going to let this go.</p><p>"My father’s here."</p><p>Oh.</p><p><em>Oh</em>.</p><p>Malcolm Merlyn, ruthless businessman and partner with the Bratva, was here at the mansion. Felicity heard the whispers about how Malcolm became involved in the Bratva, how his wife had been murdered by a Triad member in the Glades, although no one could actually prove the Triad was behind it and no one was ever brought to justice. After his wife’s death Malcolm had tripled his efforts within the Bratva, rubbing the right elbows and building quite a reputation behind him, and then suddenly Malcolm Merlyn was the most feared, non-Bratva man in the city.</p><p>Felicity had also heard about Malcolm's shitty relationship with his son. Apparently after his wife's murder, he threw himself into finding his wife’s killer and gaining power in Starling, completely shutting out his son rather than helping him through the tough time.</p><p>Felicity’s eyebrows knit together in empathy, her face falling in understanding.</p><p>“I knew he was coming - I mean, he’s <em>Malcolm Merlyn</em>, of course he was invited – I just-” Tommy shook his head, bowing it as a myriad of emotions crossed his face. They all culminated into one feeling – pain. It was clear that ever since his mother died Tommy didn’t feel much love, if any, while he lived in the Merlyn Manor, which made his move to the Queen’s home much more understandable. The Queens were Tommy’s family much more than his father had ever been.</p><p>“Hey,” Felicity said softly, tilting her head at him. “I can’t imagine what your childhood was like, or your life after your mother died but like you and Thea said the other day, I now have some experience with the grief of losing a parent,” She reached her hand up and placed her palm firmly against his chest.</p><p>“I’m here if you need me.” Tommy didn’t answer her, his eyes stilled trained on the bottom of her skirt. Felicity ducked her head to catch his eye and when his grey blue eyes met hers, she gave him a weak, hopeful smile. Tommy huffed out a laugh at her adorable expression, straightening and shaking his head at her. Tommy reached up and grabbed Felicity's hand and he squeezed it thankfully at her support.</p><p>“Your big heart already got you in trouble once today Miss. Smoak,” Tommy said, his voice light, and shook a scolding finger at her. “You need to be careful.” Felicity laughed lightly at his fake reprimand. Mr. Queen came up beside the two of them, moving to stand next to Felicity again. When Felicity looked up at him, she found him staring at the hand Tommy was holding.</p><p>"Well," Tommy said, releasing her hand, but not because of Mr. Queen’s recognition of their touch. "I should get in there and start my drinking for the night. With my dad here, Hell knows I'll need it." Tommy clapped Mr. Queen on the shoulder and left for the ballroom. Felicity turned to face Mr. Queen to find him staring intently at her.</p><p>“Yes?” She prompted, trying not to shrink under his scorching stare. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was taking the time to time about how he was going to answer her. She didn’t know why he was looking at her like that.</p><p>“Mr. Queen?” Felicity pushed for a response and almost gasped when she saw his eyes darken, a blatant, hungry look crossing his face. Her lips part in surprise as he took a step forward, one of his hands rising to hold her waist, his fingers spreading over her ribs, keeping her in place. His palm burned through the fabric of her dress, causing her to shiver, her eyes fluttering for a moment before rising her gaze to his.</p><p>“We should head in, the guests are expecting us.” Mr. Queen spoke lowly, only to her, his palm pressing more against her.</p><p>“Okay,” She said quietly, nodding minutely, not looking away from him.</p><p>“Okay.” He agreed, pausing for an extended moment before his hand slipped around to her back, pulling her closer to him in one swift movement. Felicity’s heart jumped as she momentarily thought he was going to kiss her, going to pull her against his firm chest and press his lips to hers. She thought he was going to act on the hunger she saw in his features.</p><p>She was relieved of the foolish notion when Mr. Queen turned as he pulled her, angling himself to stand beside her while his hand remained on her back, guiding her to the ballroom. Felicity felt her heart drop and she swallowed her disappointment. She mentally chastised herself for even thinking he would kiss her in the first place.</p><p>As they came to the ballroom doors, they found Diggle waiting for them, who passed a glass of vodka to Mr. Queen.</p><p>"What's this for?" He asked, accepting the drink. "The night just started, I doubt I need this already." Digg's expression was grim.</p><p>"Trust me, you'll need it. Your mother's here," Mr. Queen opened his mouth to protest but Digg pressed on. "And she brought three guests’ home from her vacation. The Kynazev brothers." Felicity felt Mr. Queen stiffen, fingers flexing against her back.</p><p> The Kynazev brothers, nephews of Anatoly Kynazev, leader of the Bratva. Felicity knew the boys quite well, having spent a few years in Russia during her youth and spending extended vacations at her godfather’s house. The brothers had been good friends to her in her childhood, but they had all grown up and lost touch, save for the occasional call or text. They all landed on the nicer end of the Bratva scale, and none of them scared or made Felicity uncomfortable. She had actually dated one of them in her late teens.</p><p>"And here they come now." Diggle said, spotting a group of people advancing on them. Felicity pushed up on her toes to see a regal looking, blonde haired woman in a blue dress with three tall, black haired men following her, approaching them. Mr. Queen spun on the spot, his hand moving back to her waist as he stood in front of her and blocked her from the view of the group.</p><p>"You can't be here right now." He stated firmly. Felicity raised her eyebrows in surprise and genuine confusion.</p><p>"I have to meet your mother eventually Mr. Queen. I can only avoid her for so long." Mr. Queen shook his head grumbling to himself.</p><p>"You can meet her later." Mr. Queen argued. "These brothers are...a handful.” He shifted on his feet, moving closer, staring at her with intent, trying to communicate what he was feeling through his stare. “I'm just worried and I think it would be in your best interest if you weren't around when-"</p><p>"When the Kynazev brothers come over to talk to you?” Felicity finished for him, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Relax Mr. Queen, I know them. I can handle myself." If it were any other person, Felicity would have laughed at the comical widening of his eyes. Clearly he didn’t believe that she could.</p><p>"Oliver," Moira Queen said sweetly, catching their collective attention. Mr. Queen straightened, his fingers tightening around his drink. "How are you?" Mr. Queen fixed a tight smile on his face, his hand dropping from Felicity’s side, and turned to the group.</p><p>"I'm alright mother, how was your trip?" He asked, his tone full of forced charm. He kissed her cheek and glared at the Knyazev brothers behind her as he did.</p><p>"It was wonderful. I believe you remember the Kynazev boys?" Moira turned partly, motioning at them with one hand, her other one resting on Mr. Queen’s arm.</p><p>"Of course.” Mr. Queen’s voice was tight, full of barely restrained anger. “Though they're not really boys anymore." Felicity watched, with an eye roll, as he shook their hands tightly, doing the whole <em>'I'm-bigger-and-stronger-I'm-the-alpha</em>' routine. None of the brothers backed down or cowered under what Felicity was sure was a glare on Mr. Queen’s face.</p><p>"I agree Mr. Queen, we're hardly boys." One of them said with a sly smile. As they exchanged fake pleasantries, Felicity caught sight of Mrs. Queen studying her carefully from her son’s side, sizing her up. Felicity fought the urge to squirm under the matriarch’s gaze. Felicity stood her ground, pushing her shoulders back and even met Mrs. Queen’s blatant evaluating stare.</p><p>"Flissy!" One of the brothers exclaimed happily, noticing her behind Mr. Queen. Felicity cringed at the nickname as he easily slipped around Mr. Queen and stepped towards her. "It's been awhile, how are you? We were so devastated to hear about your father." Felicity shook his hand, suppressing an eye roll as he kissed her knuckles.</p><p>Dominic. The youngest of the brothers and the designated party boy. He practically invented the phrase 'Live while we're young', living recklessly and without many consequences. He had a higher track record with women then Tommy and Mr. Queen's party days combined. Though he didn't really want to be part of the Bratva and had no interest in its politics, Dominic was still a loyal member and if Felicity remembered correctly, a little trigger happy in interrogation sessions. Dominic was the leanest of the three but could still pack a punch.</p><p>Felicity smiled politely and tugged her hand out of his grasp. She liked Dominic, he was fun, and quick witted, and his lack of caring about what others thought about him made him interesting. He was the kind of person she hung out with whenever she wanted to forget everything for a while and just let loose. However Dom tended to lay on the charm pretty thick, knowing it and his attractive face could get him almost whatever he wanted. He was entitled and irresponsible and Felicity could only tolerate him in small doses.</p><p>“I’m doing alright Dominic.” Felicity said, answering his question. She was thankful when one of his brothers stepped forward and clamped a hand down on Dominic’s shoulder, yanking him away from her.</p><p>“Stop crowding her, brother.” He ordered in a low voice, all but shoving Dominic away. This brother chose a hug rather than a handshake, which Felicity gladly accepted.</p><p>Dimitri. The oldest of the brothers and definitely the most mature. He was the closest out of the three of them to the top position of the Bratva and he took that chance of running the Bratva very seriously. That didn't however mean that Dimitri didn't know how to have fun. He owned a string of clubs across the world (which Dominic was sure to frequent) called Кровавый цветок or The Bloody Flower in English. He was the tallest and largest of the brothers and had a scowl to make the toughest men wet themselves and a smile to melt your heart. He had mellowed out his partying ways a couple years back when he got married and had a daughter.</p><p>"I'm so sorry about your father Felicity. I'm here if you need anything Darling." Dimitri whispered into her ear before pulling back from the hug. Felicity blinked, clearing her glassy eyes, knowing Dimitri's words were genuine. Dimitri was like the older brother she never had, always there to protect or comfort her when she needed him.</p><p>“Is Veronika here?” Felicity asked, swallowing the lump in her throat as she asked after Dimitri’s wife. Dimitri shook his head, clasping his hands behind his back.</p><p>“No, she is home with Valkyrie.” A small smile ghosted over Dimitri’s lips as he was struck with a thought. “You should video call the two of them tomorrow, I’m sure Valkyrie would love to see her Auntie Felicity.” Felicity smiled back, love blooming and warming her chest as she thought of the raven haired four year old.</p><p>“I’ll do that. I miss her terribly.” Felicity confessed, knowing the last time they saw each other in person was over a year ago.</p><p>“We all missed you terribly too.” The last brother stepped forward, catching her attention. Dimitri moved to let his other brother have a moment with Felicity. He took a gentle hold of Felicity's hands and placed a tender kiss on her forehead.</p><p>Nikolai. The middle child and Bratva heartthrob. He didn't walk, he sauntered, and he was always granted to have a string of broken hearts trailing behind him. He was built and tall and quite enjoyed using Felicity's head as an armrest whenever he got the chance. He and Dimitri were business partners at the club and though he didn't take his potential Bratva position too seriously, he was far more involved than Dominic. Nikolai liked to be in the field, to help the Bratva get who or what they needed at any cost. He was an excellent strategist and he excelled in anything he tried. Though Nikolai had charm like Tommy but times a thousand, he was kind of gooey on the inside and was protective when he needed to be.</p><p>Felicity closed her eyes as he pressed his lips to her head, finding comfort in his touch like she did when they dated. They had always liked one another and dating just seemed like it made the most sense to do. They had lots of fun and Felicity did love him, but they both quickly realized that they weren’t <em>in love</em> with each other. After that obvious realization, breaking up was the best course of action, especially since Felicity lived in America and Nikolai lived in Russia. Now they were friends who occasionally hooked up but that hadn’t happened in a couple years.</p><p>"I'm so sorry about your father моя маленькая солнце [my little sunshine]." He said sincerely, bringing up the nickname he had given her when she was 14. He squeezed her hands tightly before stepping back.</p><p>"I'm not little anymore Nikki, besides, I'm older than Dom and you're only two years older than I am."</p><p>"So you speak Russian, Felicity?" Moira remarked, joining in the conversation. Nikolai moved back and off to the side, creating a circle for their conversation.</p><p>"Not really. I know how to say a few phrases because my mother wanted me to be to be polite and formal but besides that no, I don't speak Russian."</p><p>That was a lie.</p><p>Felicity could speak perfect Russian, as while as French, Spanish, German, Chinese and she was working on Arabic in her spare time. Felicity had realized over the years that if people thought she couldn't understand them, they were more likely to freely talk back and forth while she was in the room. This gave Felicity information with ever having to break into people's bank accounts or secure computer files. Her father often used not only her computer talents but her lie about not understanding to obtain information from people while they were staying at the house. Felicity and her father had been quite the team.</p><p>"You don't speak Russian? Хорошо, хорошо. [Good, good.]" Moira said, nodding absentmindedly. She turned to Mr. Queen. "Хорошо знать, что я могу говорить с моей семьей с ней в комнате без ее понимания [Good to know I can speak to my family with her in the room without her understanding]." She turned her attention back to Felicity. "It's very nice to meet you dear. I wish you were staying with us under better circumstances."</p><p>"I wish the same thing." She smiled as sweetly as she could. She was getting the impression Moira Queen was no bark and all bite. The quiet, scheming type to stab you in the front if you ever crossed her.</p><p>"So why are the three of you here?" Mr. Queen asked, somewhat on the cold side.</p><p>"We ran into your mother at the airport in England when she was making her connecting flight. We were going home after taking care of some business. She mentioned that you had Felicity staying here and she asked us to come to your party." Dimitri answered.</p><p>"Are you sure you didn't invite yourselves?" Felicity asked unconvinced, knowing the brothers all too well.</p><p>"Felicity," Nikolai chastised playfully. "You wound us." He placed a hand over his heart in fake hurt. “And say we did invite ourselves. Can you blame us? We all really wanted to see you." He smiled as his brothers nodded in agreement.</p><p>"Do me the pleasure of a dance?" Nikolai asked, offering his elbow.</p><p>“Actually,” Mr. Queen interrupted, taking a few steps forward to strategically move in front of Felicity to block her from Nikolai. He passed his drink to Diggle. “Miss. Smoak had agreed to do me the honor of her first dance this evening. If you’ll excuse us.” He turned, looping his arm around her, and placing his hand on the small of her back. Felicity was unsure why Mr. Queen was lying about her agreeing to dance, or why it seemed like he desperately wanted to get her away from the boys, but it didn’t matter. She felt like she could trust him, so she played along.</p><p>“Maybe later Nik.” Felicity offered in condolence as Mr. Queen whisked her away to the dance floor. The space was already occupied by multiple couples but when people caught sight of the Captain of the house taking position on the dance floor, people pulled away from the outskirts to follow suit. Soon the room was full of dancing guests and she and Mr. Queen got swallowed up by the crowd.</p><p>**</p><p>Oliver kept one hand on Felicity’s back and his other hand took her opposite hand in his as her free hand rested on his shoulder. They swayed along with the music coming from the small band at the far end of the room, moving into an easy waltz. They stood a couple inches apart, which Oliver deemed as a respectable distance.</p><p>He wasn’t sure what he was thinking when he had stolen her away to the dance floor – he didn’t even like dancing – he just knew he had to get her away from the Knyazev brothers. Oliver knew that they were dangerous, in more ways than one, and despite Felicity’s clear comfort in their presence Oliver didn’t like the way the youngest one was looking at her. He tried to convince himself that pulling her away to dance definitely had nothing to do with the fact Nikolai had kissed her head or that Oliver was once again jealous of the actions of another man with her.</p><p>After a minute, Oliver looked down to see Felicity staring intently at his jacket lapel like she wanted to look anywhere but at him. Maybe this was a mistake. He had acted rashly when he asked her to dance, not really thinking about what she wanted.</p><p>But then again, he had lied about her previously agreeing to dance with him and she could have simply called him out on the lie. Lord knows she wasn’t afraid of standing up to him. If she hadn’t wanted to dance with him, she would have said something. Curiosity got the better of him and he spoke.</p><p>“Miss. Smoak?”</p><p>“Hm?” Her head tilted up so she could meet his eyes. Oliver’s breath momentarily caught, just as it had when he first saw her that evening.</p><p>She was stunning.</p><p>There was still a loose curl of hair that hung near her face, the one that mocked him as he stared at it, begging him to push it behind her ear. Oliver’s hands twitched as he thought about the intimate gesture, wanting to do just that. Instead he settled for pulling her closer, almost erasing the distance between them. Her eyes shone under the light of the ballroom chandeliers, as did the diamonds around her neck, which momentarily drew his attention to the gentle slope of her neck. Her lips parted as she waited for him to continue.</p><p>“Why didn’t you tell the Brothers I was lying? When I asked you to dance?” Felicity shrugged, swaying with him.</p><p>“I trust you Mr. Queen. If you feel like there’s a reason I shouldn’t spend time with the Brothers, then I trust you when you lie to get me away from them. Although I should say that I’ve been friends with them for most of my life and you have nothing to fear from them. They won’t hurt me.”</p><p>“You trust me?” Oliver would admit to being a little taken aback. He wasn’t sure what he possibly could have done to earn her trust, especially after only really knowing her for a few days.</p><p>“Of course,” She replied, like it was obvious. “You’ve proven that you’ll do a lot to protect me, to look after me like you did my first night here.” Oliver startled minutely, worry sending a jolt up his spine. Or was it hope and excitement at the possibility that she remembered how he had carried her to bed and cleaned the blood off of her? That she knew there was more to him than the behaviour he had exhibited today.</p><p>“Honestly, I’ve trusted you since our meeting in the library. You surprised me with how you acted.”</p><p>“And how did I act?”</p><p>“Kind.” Felicity admitted, her eyes boring into his. “You were kind, and careful, and considerate. You took care of me and I knew that if we had been found, you would have protected me. I had this feeling that if we had been found and someone accused us of something you would have protected me and taken the blame. Although I might be wrong-” Felicity muttered offhandedly, her head tilting and her eyes flashing up towards the ceiling.</p><p>“You’re not.” Oliver said firmly and sincerely, capturing Felicity’s full attention. “I would never let anything happen to you. Not then, and not now. Not ever.”</p><p>A silence hung between them as Oliver watched Felicity digest the words, his proclamation of safety. Her fingers curled against his suit jacket as their dance movements slowed. Oliver forced himself to not break eye contact, to let her see exactly what he was feeling. Oliver needed to let himself be vulnerable, not with the rest of the room but just with her. He could see some recognition in her features, the smoothing of the lines around her eyes as she pieced together that he wasn’t speaking to her as her Captain, but as Oliver.</p><p>Felicity took a deep breath in, her chest brushing his, those same features steeling as she wore what he could only describe as a brave face. She pulled her lips in, the wheels turning in her head, like she was searching for exactly what she wanted to say next.</p><p>“Mr. Queen-” She started but stopped the second Oliver’s hooded eyes fell to her lips. Whatever she was going to say died in her mouth under Oliver’s steady gaze. He hadn’t meant to stop her, and he honestly wanted to know what she was going to say.</p><p>He also wanted to know if her lips were as soft as they looked.</p><p>Oliver’s tongue poked out to wet his lips and Felicity’s eyes followed the movement as her skin flushed. Her blush flew across her skin, down her neck and disappeared below the collar of her dress. Oliver’s eyes followed the path of pink skin and part of him wondered how far the blush went. He suddenly found himself wanting to pull her off the dance floor and into the closest room with a lock so he could find out just how far down the blush went.</p><p>His brain cooked up an image of them laying on a couch in darkened room, Felicity sprawled on the cushions beneath him as he followed the path of blush with his mouth, his stubbled scraping over her soft skin, causing a longer lasting reddening of her flesh. He thought of her hands in his hair, urging him on, and of the sounds she might make as he nipped at the swell of her breast that pushed against her bodice. Oliver took a sharp breath in, dismissing the thought and pushing the image out of his head. He focused back on the woman pressed against him, who stilled stared at his lips.</p><p>Oliver was becoming more and more sure of Felicity’s opinion of him. He didn’t know what she felt, it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was attracted to him, but he didn’t know if there were any romantic feelings in whatever they had going on. Oliver knew where he stood, impressed by her skill and her beauty, inside and out, and appreciative of her strength. When they met she had told him exactly what she thought of Bratva Captains and Oliver had been surprised by her boldness. Then, her first evening here when she had all but scolded him for speaking impolitely to Roy. She had apologized but Oliver knew that she didn’t regret it. Felicity wasn’t afraid or intimidated by him like everyone else was, or at least he didn’t think she was.</p><p>But after the incident in the kitchen, he wasn’t so sure anymore.</p><p>Felicity looked up at him then, her body pressing determinedly against him as they swayed. Her eyes looked from his eyes to his lips and back again, an unspoken question on her face. Her gaze reached out to him, asked for permission.</p><p>They couldn’t do this. At least not now, and definitely not here.</p><p>Oliver pulled away from Felicity and spun her, creating some distance between them as he attempted to get his brain and heart under control. He pulled her back to him and she ended up facing away from him, with her back to his chest.</p><p>Oliver realized how much of a mistake he had just made when he caught a whiff of her perfume – something floral and light and <em>intoxicating</em> – as her soft hair brushed against the side of his face as her face aligned with his. He held her hands, her arms crisscrossed over her body, holding her firmly against him as every inch of her pressed against him. She felt <em>amazing</em> and as his heart stuttered, Oliver realized how truly in deep he was. Oliver looked straight ahead, knowing if he looked down he’d catch sight of the part of her body he had just imagined biting.</p><p>“I wanted to apologize Miss. Smoak,” Oliver started, purposely not looking at her. “For my behaviour earlier today in the kitchen.” Felicity took a breath in. Oliver knew, not because he heard her, but because he felt the sudden rise of her chest, her shoulders shifting against his chest. She turned her head slightly towards him, inclining her face to speak to him.</p><p>“I won’t tell you that what you did was alright because that would be a lie. But I do understand why you yelled. You weren’t acting that way to be mean or to hurt me. You were scared, like you said.”</p><p>“Terrified.” Oliver corrected, tilting his face down towards her, his lips brushing against her temple. “I said I was terrified.” Her hair tickled his chin and cheek, her skin warm against the lightest brush of his lips. Oliver felt Felicity lean back for a moment, a split second where she melted back against him before she caught herself and dipped her chin towards her chest, turning her face away from him.</p><p>Oliver knew he should follow Felicity’s lead. They were in a room full of people, there had to be at least one person watching them dance, probably a lot actually, since Oliver had built up a reputation for not dancing at these kinds of functions. If someone watched them for long enough they’d see the way the two of them were wrapped around each other, the way they were speaking quietly together. Felicity was still in Mourning and the last thing she needed was the Bratva rumour mill accusing her of violating the rules of Mourning by engaging with Oliver in a non-professional manner. She just lost her father, she didn’t need people whispering behind her back about whether or not there was something going on between her and Oliver.</p><p>So Oliver spun her back around, returning them to their original waltzing position.</p><p>“Thank you for understanding.” Oliver began, trying his hardest not to look at her. She was so easy to fall into, to get lost in and Oliver needed his focus. “But I still need to apologize. You made a mistake, but you didn’t deserve to be yelled at. Even though my words were fueled by fear rather than anger, that doesn’t make it alright, like you said. It will never happen again.”</p><p>“I believe you.” Felicity said, looking up at him, despite him not looking at her. “Although, if it were to happen again?”</p><p>“Then you can yell right back at me.” Oliver answered, his eyes surveying the room.</p><p>“Permission to yell at a Bratva Captain? Is it Hannukah already?” Her tone was light and teasing, but there was a touch of uneasiness behind it, like she was taken aback by his answer.</p><p>“I would rather you be angry with me than scared of me Miss. Smoak.”</p><p>“I’m not afraid of you.” Felicity said firmly, like his statement was outrageous. Oliver’s heart leapt out of his chest in relief and his head snapped forward to look at her in surprise. He opened his mouth to reply when someone spoke up behind Oliver.</p><p>“Excuse me?” Oliver turned on the spot, releasing Felicity’s hand but keeping his hand on her back. He angled himself to block her from who had interrupted them, but when he saw who it was, the tension left him immediately. Slade Wilson smiled politely at the pair.</p><p>"May I cut in?" He asked, holding a hand out towards them. Oliver stepped back, to clear the path from Slade to Felicity, before swiveling his head to look at her. Ultimately it was her choice to dance or not and if she said ‘no’, Oliver wanted her to know that he would support her in that choice. But Felicity looked relaxed and at ease with Captain Wilson’s presence.</p><p>Felicity looked up at Oliver then, seeing that he was waiting for her to dismiss him. She nodded, indicating that she was alright, and he dropped his hand from her back. Felicity stepped forward and took Captain Wilson’s out stretched hand, knowing it was impolite to refuse a Bratva Captain a dance. Mr. Queen snuck a quick, but no less intense glance her way before nodding at Slade and walking towards the bar.</p><p>**</p><p>Captain Wilson guided Felicity into the proper dancing position just as Mr. Queen had and began to move her across the floor. The Captain was very skilled at the waltz, which was not something she would have assumed by looking at him. His demeanor screamed ruthless killer, which didn’t invoke an image of him dancing gracefully across the floor.</p><p>"You surprise me Captain Wilson.” Felicity commented as they moved seamlessly. “You don't strike me as the dancing type."</p><p>"Please Miss. Smoak, call me Slade, and my wife felt it was mandatory that I learn. She wanted me to be in peak fighting condition and said I was too heavy on my feet. She believed dancing made you quicker. And my wife thought it was an endearing quality to have. I improved my skills to impress her, to make her proud."</p><p>"That's very sweet of you." Felicity held back sudden laugh that threatened to bubble up out of her chest at her realization that she called a Bratva Captain ‘sweet’. "Was she happy with your dancing skills?” She asked, curiously, her tone kind as she remembered abruptly that his wife, Shado, had died a year ago.</p><p>"She was quite proud." He said calmly.</p><p>"You were very kind the other night at dinner when you spoke of my father. I wanted to offer my condolences to you about your wife.”</p><p>"I appreciate that Miss. Smoak.”</p><p>“She was a very kind woman. I learned that when we met.” He tilted his head towards her, his eye that was not obscured by his eyepatch widened slightly.</p><p>“I was unaware you and Shado had ever met.”</p><p>“We met at my family home when I was eighteen. We were having a lunch party out in the gardens and it was one of the first parties that my parents allowed me to go to. I was so excited and nervous, I was shaking and ended up spilling my drink on myself. It was red wine and I was wearing a very light blue dress. It honestly looked like I had been stabbed, the stain was so noticeable. I was mortified. When I ran into the house to get cleaned up Shado was right behind me, telling me everything was okay and that she wanted to help.” Felicity smiled at the memory of the older woman consoling Felicity as she freaked out in the kitchen.</p><p>“She used an old recipe of household ingredients her grandmother had taught her and used it on my dress to soak up the stain. The entire time she was kind and never made me feel like an idiot for spilling my drink. She even shared a story about a similar situation that happened to her.”</p><p>“I believe that story would be from the night we met. She spilt some food onto her shirt, I remember watching it happen from across the room. I was surprised by her reaction. She didn’t become embarrassed or make a scene. She simply stood up and left the room to change. If anything she seemed a little inconvenienced by the stain if anything. Shado had a way of not letting things bother her, she simply rolled with the punches, often punching back.” Slade remarked, a short, gruff laugh leaving his chest.</p><p>“She was a remarkable woman.” Felicity commented.</p><p>“She was.” Slade said, in a sad, longing tone that broke Felicity’s heart. “What happened to her was monstrous. I hope to kill whoever was responsible."</p><p>"Do you think you'll get the chance? From what I’ve heard no one has any leads."</p><p>"I’ve been working on solving her murder ever since it happened, despite the lack of support from the Bratva. I’ve been working to find her killer and I believe I will have a chance to kill them. Very soon actually." He said simply.</p><p>"I wish you the best of luck then. If finding and killing your wife's killer brings you peace, I hope you succeed.” Felicity thought to her own father and how she would give anything to find out who had killed him. “I’m actually pretty good at finding people. When I have access to technology I mean. Which I don’t right now because of Mourning, but the second I do I would be happy to help you, if you needed it. Not that I’m saying you’re incapable of finding them without my help, I’m sure you’re very capable-"</p><p>"Thank you Miss. Smoak.” Slade cut in, an amused hint to his voice. “I heard you were kind hearted. Thank you for your offer. My wife's murderer will face justice. I wish to make him suffer and I will reach out to you if I need your technical skills." Felicity gave him a soft, understanding smile before he raised her arm and spun her.</p><p>**</p><p>Oliver watched from his position at the bar, as Slade moved around the dance floor with Felicity.</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dance.” Diggle commented with delight, at Oliver’s expense. Oliver fought off an eye roll at the comment and Diggle’s lingering insinuation, his eyes never leaving the blonde swaying with the other Captain across the room.</p><p>“I’ve danced before.”</p><p>“Not that I’ve ever seen.” Diggle scoffed at him, shifting closer to stand next to him. “Seems like Felicity managed to change that.”</p><p>“<em>Miss. Smoak</em> hasn’t changed anything.”</p><p>“Keep telling yourself that.” Diggle said, clearly amused. Oliver could hear the smug smile in his voice and proceeded to glare at him. Not actually at him, since he was still watching Felicity, but the annoyance behind it was directed at Digg.</p><p>“If I could have a moment with you Mr. Queen?” Nikolai Knyazev asked, stepping into Oliver’s view. Oliver felt Diggle bristle next to him, matching Oliver’s attitude towards Nikolai. Oliver didn’t particularly want to talk with Nikolai, but he couldn’t refuse Anatoly’s nephew.</p><p>“Of course.” Oliver agreed but he didn’t even bother to fake a polite smile. Nikolai glanced at Diggle before looking back at Oliver, staring long enough for Oliver to get the message. He looked over at Diggle with a weary expression.</p><p>“Go enjoy yourself Diggle. Maybe ask my sister to dance so the other men will stay away from her for at least one song.” Diggle didn’t look happy about being dismissed but he knew it wasn’t Oliver’s fault. Digg gave Nikolai an unimpressed look before wordlessly leaving the two men at the bar. Nikolai moved to take Diggles place next to Oliver, no longer blocking his view of the dancefloor where Felicity danced with Captain Wilson. He kept a watchful eye on her for a prolonged moment before glancing at Nikolai.</p><p>“I have a message from my uncle.” Nikolai started, setting his empty glass on the bar before motioning to the bartender that he wanted another vodka. Nikolai looked back to Oliver, meeting his gaze and holding it, to ensure that he was paying attention.</p><p>“He says that you have to hurry up and pay off your debt.” Oliver’s eyes closed, just over a second, as his heart sank.</p><p>Felicity.</p><p>Anatoly was laying on the pressure to wrap up this Felicity situation faster. Oliver was already struggling with it and being put on a time constraint wasn’t going to make anything easier.</p><p>“It’s only been a week. And paying off my debt is proving to be difficult, since Miss. Smoak is still in Mourning.” Oliver tried to negotiate. He needed more time. This wasn’t the kind of thing you could rush. If he did, people would end up getting hurt. Nikolai shrugged nonchalantly, obviously not caring for Oliver’s excuses.</p><p>“You’re an intelligent man Mr. Queen, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Besides, the sooner you pay off your debt, the safer Miss. Smoak will be.” Oliver looked back to the dancefloor to find Felicity smiling at something Captain Wilson was saying, his heart seizing in worry about how he was possibly going to move forward and handle this situation without anyone getting hurt, especially not Felicity.</p><p>“Tick tock Mr. Queen.”</p><p>**</p><p>“I had no idea that’s where that Bratva saying came from.” Felicity said, a light laugh coloring her voice at Slade’s story. A throat cleared behind Felicity and she turned out of Slade's hold to face the person, her dancing interrupted for a second time that night.</p><p>Malcolm Merlyn stood expectedly behind her and Felicity felt her mood instantly sour.</p><p>"Mind if I cut in?" He asked, directing his question solely to Slade.</p><p>"Of course." Unlike Mr. Queen, Slade handed Felicity off to Malcolm with no attempt at getting her opinion of the request, instead he gave her a small acknowledging nod before disappearing. Malcolm wrapped a hand around her back and loosely held her hand, swaying them to the music. Felicity decidedly looked anywhere but at him and tried her hardest to maintain a distance between them.</p><p>"I've heard a lot about you Miss. Smoak."</p><p>"Is that so?" Felicity responded, unable to keep the bored tone out of her words.</p><p>"Yes," He answered, moving them across the floor. "Tommy speaks very highly of you."</p><p>"How strange." Felicity said rather coldly, feeling a protective sense of anger in her chest against the man who had practically abandoned Tommy as a child. "I was unaware you and Tommy were on speaking terms."</p><p>"I have a feeling the anger you are directing towards me is because of the things that you've heard about me?"</p><p>"What things are you referring to Mr. Merlyn? How you neglected your son? How you let your rage fuel every aspect of your life? How you weaseled your way into the Bratva to benefit yourself? Which of these should I feel angry about?" She said sharply, pressing her lips together in anger.</p><p>"I can understand why you're hostile Miss. Smoak, however you should show me the same curtesy as you did to Mr. Wilson. I passed by the two of you as you spoke about his wife’s murder. You should give me your best wishes on my mission to end the Triad. He and I have the same mission. We are both Bratva."</p><p>"Please excuse me if I don't share the same opinion. You aren't a proper member of the Bratva."</p><p>"Actually Miss. Smoak, I've contributed more to it than you have. I've helped with shipments and travel and alliances. You've simply been born into the Bratva. You're not even Russian. You were born on American soil and I hear that you don't speak Russian. The phrase Bratva before Blood is not just pretty words, they actually mean something. The actions and contributions you provide to the Bratva guarantees your position not the blood in your veins. You have, in no way, helped the Bratva." The hand on her back pulled her closer, rather harshly.</p><p>"Your blood means nothing." Malcolm practically spat. Felicity tried not to flinch, but she leaned back in an attempt to distance herself from him.</p><p>"I think there are several people here who would disagree with you." Felicity countered.</p><p>"Like who? The people housing you for the next little while? Mr. Queen perhaps?” The accusatory note to his voice didn’t go unnoticed by Felicity, causing her to look at him sharply in distain. “I was wondering why he agreed to let you stay here. Maybe he gets something in return? Maybe some one on one time with you behind closed doors?" Felicity was about to slap Malcolm at that insinuation but a commotion by the bar drew their attention. Felicity saw Thea in the gathered crowd and became worried about her friends.</p><p>"If you'll excuse me Mr. Merlyn,” Felicity said in a low, dangerous tone as she yanked her hand out of his grasp. “I need to check on my friends." With that Felicity pushed off Malcolm and rushed off the dance floor, heading straight into the large group of people. The crowd was dissipating by the time she reached it, whatever had attracted them had obviously ended and they seemed to have lost interest.</p><p>"I'm fine Speedy," Felicity could hear Mr. Queen say. "Stop fussing over nothing." Felicity came up to the bar and stood with Roy, Tommy, Sara and Digg as they huddled around a seated Mr. Queen who was having his hand inspected by Thea.</p><p>"What happened?" Felicity asked, eyes flicking across the group.</p><p>"Ollie broke his glass." Sara provided nonchalantly like it was a regular occurrence. Thea scoffed, dropping Mr. Queen's hand, satisfied that it was to her liking.</p><p>"Ollie squeezed his glass until it broke." Thea corrected, giving Felicity a pointed look that she couldn’t decipher. She didn’t dwell on her friends look, since she was too shocked by what she said.</p><p>"You crushed your glass with your hand? Why?" Mr. Queen tilted his head, almost in annoyance at her questions and shook his head absentmindedly before he accepted a rag from the bartender and wiped the excess vodka from his fingers.</p><p>"Let's just say I saw something that made me extremely agitated and I broke the glass before I knew what I was doing." He grumbled. Sara rolled her eyes at her friends behaviour and turned from the group.</p><p>"I was about to get a drink of my own before this all happened, so I'll be over there." Sara pointed to the other end of the bar and left. Diggle shook his head at Mr. Queen.</p><p>"Less than an hour into this party and I already need another drink." Diggle headed after Sara, obviously as exasperated with Mr. Queen's behaviour as Sara was. Tommy looked past Digg's retreating form and saw a man approaching them.</p><p>"Hey Roy, look out." Tommy warned with an entertained look passing over his face. Roy glanced over to what Tommy was referring to.</p><p>"Oh god, not again." Roy groaned. Felicity raised an eyebrow at her friends reaction.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"All night, so far at least, members have been approaching me about job opportunities. They obviously haven't passed the message around that I'm not looking to switch bosses. I mean, the Captain of the American branch of the Bratva is my boss. I'm as high as I can get. They can't offer me anything I want. I'm not leaving but none of them seem to get that." Thea laughed at Roy's speech, giving him a sweet smile. Felicity enjoyed that despite Roy’s change in demeanor since Mr. Queen wrung him for today’s incident, Thea wasn’t going to treat him any different.</p><p>"We get it, you love us, stop it with the compliments." Thea said in exaggerated thanks, which had Roy’s eyes flinching ever so slightly, showing he was unimpressed. Thea looked over Roy's shoulder at the approaching member and looked at him.</p><p>"Dance with me."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Dance with me." She stated more clearly. "Anyone with manners and proper etiquette won't bother a man when he's dancing with a beautiful lady. Especially if that lady is the sister of the owner of the house. C'mon," She grabbed Roy's arm. "Show me your moves Abercrombie." She started to drag him off the dance floor but he dug his heels in. Thea glanced at Felicity, knowing why Roy was resisting.</p><p>“Felicity will be fine. She’s with my brother, that’s the safest place she could be. Let’s go!” Mr. Queen gave Roy an agreeable nod, letting the couple go off to the dance floor and Felicity looked behind her to see the Bratva member stop in his tracks and dejectedly end his pursuit. Tommy nudged Felicity’s shoulder, getting her attention.</p><p>"I saw you dancing with my dad. Thoughts?" Tommy asked innocently enough, but his discomfort was clear to Felicity.</p><p>"Your father is a pretentious ass." Felicity said sourly.</p><p>"Yeah, I could have told you that." Tommy commented with an eye roll and a shake of his head. “I’m sorry that he cornered you like that.”</p><p>“Excuse me?”  A red haired woman had moved to stand behind Tommy, and she tapped him on the shoulder. Tommy turned, his demeanor from the uncomfortable topic of his father disappeared as he looked her over and Felicity saw him slip into what she could only call as ‘playboy mode’.</p><p>"Hi, I was wondering if you'd do me the honour of a dance?" Tommy offered the woman his arm, a smile lighting up his face.</p><p>"How could I possibly say no to someone as beautiful as you?" Tommy escorted the redhead away from the two remaining members of the group. Felicity smiled at her retreating friend before she looked back at Mr. Queen. He looked determinedly down at his hand, the one Thea had been looking at earlier, his expression was a distant one like his hand would give him all the answers he wanted if he looked long enough. Felicity placed a reassuring hand on his bicep, catching his attention.</p><p>"Are you okay?"</p><p>"Of course.” Mr. Queen said quickly, looking up at her. He showed her his palm. “Thea already checked, no cuts, I'm fine." His answer was short and too much to the point. Felicity shook her head and moved to lean against the bar beside him.</p><p>"I meant about what you saw, whatever that was that angered you enough to break the glass. Are you okay now?"</p><p>"Honestly?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. She gave him a soft smile before nodding.</p><p>“Always.”</p><p>“Yes, I'm okay now but just thinking about what I saw on the dance floor makes me want to break something else. Preferably someone’s face." Felicity’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.</p><p>"Someone did something to anger you and that made you hulk out on your glass? What happened? What did you see?"</p><p>"Все, что говорил Малькольм, беспокоило вас, и выражение вашего лица заставило меня сломать ему кости [Whatever Malcolm was saying was bothering you and the look on your face made me want to break his bones.]" Felicity stilled the words, realizing that Mr. Queen had been watching her exchange with Malcolm and recognized from a distance what she was uncomfortable with him.</p><p>"What?" She asked, confused as to why her discomfort around Malcolm invoked such a reaction from Mr. Queen.</p><p>"Sorry," He waved a hand, dismissing what he said. "It doesn't matter." <em>Oh, right. I'm not supposed to know Russian. </em>He didn’t know that she understood him, which meant she couldn’t push the subject. So instead she decided to change it.</p><p>"You know, I'm surprised that women aren't flocking to you, looking for a chance to dance with a Bratva Kapitan." She teased, tapping his forearm playfully. Mr. Queen scoffed, dropping the vodka soaked rag on the bar, which was immediately collected by a bartender.</p><p>"I don't dance. Every woman who attends these parties knows that."</p><p>“You danced with me.” Felicity countered.</p><p>“That was different.” Mr. Queen shot back.</p><p>“How so?” Felicity pushed, not letting him off easy.</p><p>“Because I was doing my job, I was protecting you.”</p><p>“Was that all that was?”</p><p>“No.” He answered quickly, like his fast reply could relieve her of the notion that there was nothing between them, because it was clear that something was there. “But it was mostly about doing my job.”</p><p>"So, what? Since you don’t dance you normally just sit around talking and drinking at these things?" Mr. Queen gave her a look and a shrug. "Wow, seriously? You must be the life of the party." Felicity mocked lightly.</p><p>"My job is to do business, not have fun." His tone turned hard, which didn’t sit right with Felicity.</p><p>"Then why are you spending your time talking to me? Oh, that's right, I am your job." Felicity crossed her arms over her chest and turned her head away from him to hide her expression of anger. Mr. Queen frowned at her tone.</p><p>"I'm helping to keep you safe." He said, turning to lean against the bar so he could face her. "I know you don’t like my methods but if today was any indication, you need a lot of protection because someone is trying to hurt you." Felicity sighed, knowing her was right, she couldn’t blame him for paying off a debt to her family.</p><p>"You're right, I'm sorry. I'm sure I'd be dead tomorrow if I left this house and your care - I mean, your protection not your care, because you're not tending to my every need - and by need I mean food and stuff, not other kinds of...needs... I'm going to shut up now." Mr. Queen huffed out what sounded curiously like a laugh at her ramble and Felicity smiled despite herself.</p><p>"Sorry, I have no brain to mouth filter. Anything that comes to mind, which tends to sound inappropriate when I say it, just comes out."</p><p>"It's cute." Mr. Queen said before he could stop himself. Felicity looked at him rather shocked, which he did too, before bursting into giggles. Felicity covered her mouth with her hand.</p><p>"I'm sorry," She apologized for laughing. "But a Bratva Captain using the word 'cute' seems kind of ridiculous."</p><p>"And why is that?" Mr. Queen asked, leaning towards her.</p><p>"Well, Captains are harsh and cold, unforgiving and occasionally cruel. They rule with an iron fist. 'Cute' doesn't seem like the kind of word that would be in their vocabulary." Felicity looked up at Mr. Queen as he took a step closer to her, arm resting on the bar beside hers.</p><p>"Cold and cruel, huh?" Felicity swallowed hard at the lack of distance between them. “And is that what you think of me?”</p><p>"Of course not.” Felicity said immediately. She was having trouble focusing as Mr. Queen stared at her, his fingers absentmindedly playing with the bracelet around her wrist. "I-I'm pretty sure we've been over this already."</p><p>"Have we?" Mr. Queen teased.</p><p>"Earlier on the dance floor.” Mr. Queen nodded unhurriedly.</p><p>"Of course, I remember, you said I was kind and that you knew I would protect you.” Felicity's cheeks flushed at what she had admitted. “I believe you said that to me earlier today in my office too.” Felicity’s eyes closed at the memory of Mr. Queen’s hands sliding up her bare legs. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about him pining her to that couch, spreading her legs and using his hands more to her liking.</p><p>She let the smallest of whimpers escape past her lips at that thought. She opened her eyes when Mr. Queen took a sharp intake of breath, something flashing across his face. She saw him lean in a millimetre before he caught himself. He pulled back, hand leaving her wrist.</p><p>"Контролируйте себя [Control yourself]" He scolded himself. Felicity decided to push him.</p><p>"Why are you speaking Russian Mr. Queen? Got something to hide from me?"</p><p>"We all have our secrets Miss. Smoak." Felicity was going to push some more when a young, brown haired man stepped into their view.</p><p>"I'm sorry for interrupting but may I steal the guest of honour away for a dance?" The man extended a hand to Felicity.</p><p>"Actually she-" Mr. Queen started.</p><p>"Would love to." Felicity finished, slipping her hand into the mans. She was tired of talking to the hot and cold brick wall that was Mr. Queen. As the man began to lead her to the dance floor, Felicity turned back to Mr. Queen.</p><p>"Respectfully Mr. Queen, don’t ever speak for me again." She said sweetly. Mr. Queen scowled as he watched her being taken to the dance floor by yet another man. Felicity began to dance with the man and smiled at his handsome face. He had very dark brown hair and eyes with an angular face. His bright smile never fell from his face.</p><p>"So, I assume you know my name, what's yours?" Felicity asked.</p><p>"I do know your name Miss. Smoak. My name is Maxim Balashov." Felicity tilted her head, the name inching somewhere in the back of her brain.</p><p>"That name sounds familiar." She scrunched up her nose in concentration. "I don't know where I've heard it before."</p><p>"I've never met you or your family before so I have no idea where you might have heard it. Although I will say after meeting you, I regret not doing it sooner." Felicity laughed at his flirting.</p><p>"You just met me! I don't think you could make an assumption about me after only a minute or so."</p><p>"I've heard a lot of wonderful things about you. I hear you're excellent with computers. Is that a hobby or are you planning on pursuing it as a career?" Felicity shrugged.</p><p>"I'm sure the Bratva could use as many hackers as possible. People tend to keep a lot of their information on technology. I would be a great asset."</p><p>"Yes you would," Maxim agreed. "Do you have any other hobbies or hidden talents?"</p><p>"I'm a great poker and Blackjack player..." A sudden thought hit Felicity.</p><p>Poker.</p><p>
  <em>That's where I've heard the name Maxim Balashov before. Father used to play poker with him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Why is dad in such a bad mood?" A ten year old Felicity whispered to her mother across the table. Her mother rolled her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He lost a card game."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Lost?" Her father shouted, dropping his dinner utensils. "I did not lose that game, Balashov cheated. He looks like a sweet little eighty year old but he's actually a viscous old bastard who steals all your money!" Felicity laughed at her fathers over the top anger at a simple poker game.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"It's fine father! I'm sure you'll get him next time!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I will if I can use you to help me." Donna shook her head at the suggestion.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No,"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"But-" Felicity's father started.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No." Donna interjected. "I have told you a thousand times you're not using our daughter to help you cheat at your silly card games."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Fine." But her father sent her a wink her way, letting her know that he wasn't going to listen to his wife. Felicity smiled brightly before going back to eating her peas.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>*</em>
</p><p>"Everything okay?" The man she was dancing with asked, pulling her from her memories.</p><p>"Yes, of course." Felicity shook her head lightly as she tried to not let a look of unease cross her face. "Just lost in thought."</p><p>"I hear you're very smart, you must drift off in thought quite often. Always thinking, always figuring things out."</p><p>"You've heard a lot about me. Can I ask where you’ve heard about me?" She did her best to sound nonchalant.</p><p>"I pick up things here and there. People talk." Felicity nodded, fingers brushing against the hair at the back of Maxim's neck. She felt something pasty on her fingertips. She looked at her fingers over Maxim's shoulder and saw them coloured brown, as if she had dipped her fingers in paint.</p><p>"That reminds me," Maxim's voice brought Felicity back to focus on him. "I wanted to say how sorry I am."</p><p>"About what?" She asked, a little distracted as a sense of dread washed over her.</p><p>"The attempt on your life the other night. I find it horrible that a Bratva Captain can't even protect the people in his own home. He let that crazy Triad member into his home and look what happened. It's a damn shame he can't do his job properly. I want you to know that the Balashlov house is always open if you wish for better security and safety." The man’s offer was hollow to Felicity as the dread twisted her stomach. Felicity smiled as best as she could, trying to hide her reaction.</p><p>"Thank you Mr. Balashov." She stepped back and out of his hold, tucking her stained hand against her side. "I'm sorry but I promised I would check in with my bodyguard every hour or so. If you'll excuse me." Felicity turned and rushed away from the Maxim impersonator, clutching her brown stained hand close to her chest, hiding it from his view.</p><p>She frantically searched the crowd until she set her eyes on Mr. Queen, who was already watching her from the group he stood in. His eyebrows came together in confusion as he noticed her distress. Felicity pushed past and through people until she came up beside the men he was talking to, interrupting them immediately.</p><p>"I'm sorry to interrupt gentlemen but I need to talk to Mr. Queen for a moment."</p><p>"Of course my dear!" One of the men said in response and Felicity didn't even bother to send him a smile or nod before Mr. Queen reached out and guided her towards the exit. Once they made it out the doors Mr. Queen, using the hand he had placed on her back, steered her down a vacant hallway. Felicity leaned back against the wall and took some deep breaths in, trying to calm herself down.</p><p>"Felicity," Mr. Queen rubbed a soothing hand up and down her arm, recognizing her panic. "What's wrong?"</p><p>"The man I was dancing with, he's not who he says he is."</p><p>"Who did he say he was?"</p><p>"Maxim Balashov. But I know for a fact that Maxim Balashov is an old man who used to play poker with my father. This man was in his twenties and he is most definitely NOT a brunette." Felicity showed Mr. Queen her stained fingers. "He was wearing hair dye, and not the good kind either if it came off this easily. I also doubt that he had to dye his hair because he was getting grey." Felicity sighed shakily, remembering the last part of her conversation with the imposter.</p><p>"That's not even the worst part. How many people did you tell about the attempt on my life?"</p><p>"No one.” Mr. Queen responded immediately, his expression darkening in confusion. “Only the members of this household know. Why?"</p><p>"<em>He</em> knew. This man told me he was sorry about what happened. That he couldn't believe a Bratva Captain let this happen in his own home. How could he have known? Somebody must have told him."</p><p>"Come with me." Mr. Queen reached out, lightly took her arm and lead her back towards the ballroom. "I want you to point him out to me." They rounded a corner and entered the crowded foyer when Felicity spotted him by the door.</p><p>"Right there!" Felicity grabbed Mr. Queen's arm in alarm and pointed at the man with her other hand. "By the front door!" Mr. Queen looked up and met the man's gaze. He smiled widely at the two of them and gave a mock salute before dashing out the doors. Mr. Queen ran after him, collecting several guards on his way out. Felicity gathered up her skirt in fistfuls and followed quickly behind them.</p><p>"Stop him!" Mr. Queen yelled as the man pushed through some people on the front steps. The guards pulled out their guns and the guests scattered, running for the front door. Felicity pushed through the stampede and stopped in the doorway, watching as the man dove into a waiting car before it was speeding off.</p><p>"Follow him! Get him back here!" Mr. Queen ordered, a few of his men mounting some motorcycles and speeding down the driveway after him. Felicity began to walk down the front steps, her limbs feeling light from the adrenaline. She got a few steps down when she began to shake, her knees buckling under her weight.</p><p><em>Oh no, not again. Not now</em>.</p><p>Felicity all but collapsed against the stone railing to steady herself but it did nothing to help. She could no longer stand on her shaking legs and slid down on the steps. Her breathing became difficult as she thought about how someone who wanted to hurt her had gotten close.</p><p>Too close.</p><p>Felicity didn’t know what that imposter wanted but they went as far as concealing their identity and using a different name to sneak into the party to find her. She didn’t want to think about what might have happened if she had stayed on the dance floor with him. Her brain couldn’t seem to stop itself from conjuring up a terrible scenario where the imposter stabs her right there in front of everyone before killing himself to keep the Bratva from capturing and interrogating him. It was a likely scenario, Triad members were known to off themselves rather than be captured. She would have bled out on the dance floor before anyone could have saved her. Not even Mr. Queen would have been fast enough.</p><p>
  <em>Mr. Queen.</em>
</p><p>Last time she had a panic attack he was there to ease her. Sure, the sedative Diggle had given her had done its job to put her to sleep but it was Mr. Queen’s presence that had soothed her and calmed her down.</p><p>"Mr. Queen." Felicity said, her voice cracking but getting his attention. He turned from where he stood at the bottom of the steps to see her sitting on the stairs, one hand pressing against her chest, the other gripping the step. His face changed in the blink of an eye from Captain to Oliver, the ferocity at the man who had infiltrated the party switching to concern for Felicity. He rushed up the steps to kneel in front of her, one of his hands resting reassuringly on her knee.</p><p>"Felicity? What is it? What's wrong?" Felicity shook her head, unable to get the words out as she focused more on trying to catch her breath.</p><p>"Ollie?" Thea’s quiet, curious voice called out behind Felicity. "What's going on?"</p><p>“I'll explain later.” Mr. Queen said resolutely, addressing her before he spoke to the other people there. “Digg, Sara, I want the two of you on crowd control. Assure them that everything is fine and keep them out of the foyer and away from the front door. Tommy, go back into the ballroom and control the crowd from there. Keep the party going. Roy, close the door behind them and guard it. Don't let anyone come outside until I tell you to. Thea, come here." Felicity could here footfalls as they all split off to do their jobs. Thea hurried down the steps, her heels clicking on the stone, and knelt in front of Felicity with Mr. Queen.</p><p>"Felicity? Are you okay?" She still refused to speak, scrunching her eyes closed as her heart beat wildly in her chest. The dread she first felt in the ballroom swirled in her chest, making her chest feel like it was going to explode.</p><p>
  <em>Breathe. Breathe. In and out. Nice and simple.</em>
</p><p>"Felicity please." Mr. Queen implored. "I can only help you if you tell me what's wrong." A fleeting thought whipped through her head, a voice that groaned about not wanting anyone at the Queen Manor to know about her panic attacks, but Felicity couldn’t be bothered to care what it thought, she was too busy trying to stay together.</p><p>"I suffer from panic attacks.” She gasped out. “I'm having one right now."</p><p>"How can we help?" Thea asked immediately.</p><p>"Medication. In my bedside table upstairs." Mr. Queen looked at Thea.</p><p>"On it." She shot up to her feet and ran up the steps and inside. Mr. Queen turned his attention back at Felicity.</p><p>"What can I do?" The hand on her knee stayed stationary but his other hand – when did he reach out with his other hand - rubbed up and down her arm.</p><p>"Calm me down." Felicity suggested, her shoulders heaving with her labored breaths.</p><p>"How do I do that?"</p><p>"Well," Felicity took a deep breath. "I'm probably panicking because of the man who was just here and because he's obviously not Bratva and he somehow got in the house. He also knew stuff he shouldn't have and-and-"</p><p>"Hey," Mr. Queen said softly, cutting her off. "It's okay." His voice was a nice soothing balm to her ears, but it wasn’t enough.</p><p>"I'm panicking because I'm scared. Because I don't feel safe. I feel like anyone could attack me, anyone could get to me, anyone could kill me. I'm so afraid that someone will kill me Mr. Queen-" Felicity whimpered, her wide, tear filled eyes opening to look at him.</p><p>"Hey, I'm right here." Mr. Queen said gently, cutting her short again, his hand moving from her arm to cup her face. "No one is going to hurt you. Not while I'm around." Felicity reached up and held onto Mr. Queen's wrist. She leaned into his touch, her eyes closing again, the tightness lessening.</p><p>"That's working. That's good."</p><p>"What's working Felicity?"</p><p>"Human contact. It helps ground me." Felicity worked to breathe, letting the warmth of Mr. Queen’s palm against her cheek work on settling her. After a few long moments, Felicity was finding that her panic attack still wasn’t dissipating. It lingered in her chest, waiting to grow into something more.</p><p>“Felicity,” Mr. Queen said softly, getting her attention. She opened her eyes to look at him. “Name five things you can see.” Felicity shook her head minutely, confused by his request. But his expression was open and caring, a smile tugging at his lips at her confusion.</p><p>“Five things you see.” He repeated. Felicity took a deep breath in as her eyes flew widely to look around them, looking for objects in their surroundings. Her brain couldn’t actually settle on what to pick.</p><p>“Anything at all.” Mr. Queen prompted.</p><p>“The driveway.” Felicity blurted out, still puzzled as to what she was doing.</p><p>“Four more things Felicity.”</p><p>“The fountain. The flower pots. Your bowtie.” She looked back up to his face. “Your eyes.”</p><p>“Good.” Mr. Queen praised her softly, his thumb brushing along her cheek. “What’s four things you can feel?” Felicity was starting to understand the game, or rather, the de-escalation tactic she and Mr. Queen were playing.</p><p>“The-the stone steps. My dress. My heart beat. Your heartbeat.” Felicity’s fingers squeezed lightly against Mr. Queen’s wrist, his slow, steady pulse a contrast to her rapid one.</p><p>“Three things you can hear.”</p><p>“The water in the fountain. Crickets. My voice I guess.” Mr. Queen nodded, satisfied with her answers, his eyes never leaving her face.</p><p>“Two things you can smell.”</p><p>“The grass.” Felicity paused, breathing in through her nose. She leaned more heavily into Mr. Queen’s touch. “Your aftershave.” He nodded again, slow and languid, before he spoke again.</p><p>“One thing you can taste.” Felicity swallowed, her tongue moving her in mouth as she tried to find an answer. She hadn’t eaten or drank anything at the party, so she settled on what she did before the party.</p><p>“My toothpaste.” A calm smile broke out over Mr. Queen’s face.</p><p>“That’s good Felicity. How do you feel?”</p><p>“I-” Felicity took stock of how her body felt. The shaking had stopped, she wasn’t sure when, and her chest not longer felt like it was going to combust. Her limbs felt weak, but she didn’t feel panicked anymore.</p><p>“Better. I can breathe now.” She said with a hint of surprise. She smiled weakly but gratefully at Mr. Queen. Thea came back moments later with the pill bottle. Noticing their position, she walked quietly down the steps.</p><p>"Is she okay?" She asked, directing the question towards Mr. Queen.</p><p>"She said she feels better. She stopped shaking."</p><p>"I can see that." Thea gestured to Felicity, her lips pressing together in amusement. "You wanna explain your current position?" Mr. Queen bristled at the question, his soft expression changing to one of exasperation.</p><p>"She said human contact helped calm her."</p><p>"Ah," Thea said, not quite believing him. "And was she the one to suggest you hold her face or did you take it upon yourself to do that?"</p><p>"Quit talking about me like I'm not here." Felicity spoke up, only having the energy to sound half-heartedly irritated. Thea laughed a little then sat on her knees beside the pair.</p><p>"Do you still need these?" She shook the bottle. "Or are you good?"</p><p>"I think-I think I'm good." Felicity said, still surprised. "That's the first time I haven't needed the pills." Thea extended a hand, which Felicity took, using it to help her stand. Mr. Queen stood beside her and shrugged his suit jacket off, draping it over her shoulders. Felicity crossed her arms across her chest, her hands grabbing the lapels of his jacket. The three of them started up the steps towards the front door.</p><p>"Miss. Smoak,” Mr. Queen said softly, his hand on her elbow slowing her ascent. Thea continued to the door, leaving the pair for a moment. Felicity turned to face him more fully as he joined her on the step she was standing on.</p><p>“I promise that I'll always be around to protect you, to keep you safe. If you ever don't feel safe, come find me. I promise that I'll make you feel safe again, whenever you need it." Mr. Queen inclined his head towards her, showing his sincerity. Felicity nodded in understanding and they made their way back inside, happy to find that the party had continued without too much disruption. The only people in the foyer were Sara, Diggle and the Kynazev brothers.</p><p>"Felicity!" Nikolai called out, shoving past Digg and Sara, and jogged up to her. She took a step forward and fell into his embrace, her arms staying where they were as his came around her shoulders. "What happened? We saw you leave the ballroom in a hurry then the next thing we knew there's a big commotion and people are saying guns were pulled out. Are you alright?"</p><p>"I'm fine." She said against his chest. Nikolai pulled back to look at her, concern written all over his face. "Nikki, I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry."</p><p>"Are you sure you're okay?" Dimitri asked, coming up with Dominic to stand beside their brother.</p><p>"Yes, I just think it'd be best if I went to bed."</p><p>"Alright," Nikolai said, cupping her face. "If you think that'd be best." He leaned forward a fraction, clearly moving to place a reassuring kiss on her forehead and Felicity found herself moving back a fraction in response. She wasn’t entirely sure why she did that. Earlier that even she was grateful for Nikolai’s affection, now she found herself drawing a line in the sand.</p><p>Nikolai caught the reaction, confused but respectful of whatever her reasons were and stopped. He rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks one more time before stepping back. Dimitri pulled Felicity close, one of his hands rising to cup the back of her head as they hugged.</p><p>"We'll be in town for a few days. Call us if you need anything." Dominic came up in front of Felicity and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"We're serious. Call if you need anything."</p><p>"I know." Felicity nodded to their offer and their kindness. Dominic gave her a smile before tapping her playfully on the nose, which tricked a smile onto her face.</p><p>"We’ve had a long day with our flight and now the party, we should probably head to our hotel." Dimitri said.</p><p>"Yes," Mr. Queen said rather curtly, stepping forward to stand next to Felicity. "You should." The men bid their goodbyes to the rest of the group and left.</p><p>"Sara and I'll take Felicity upstairs." Thea said to Mr. Queen, placing a hand between Felicity's shoulder blades to steer her to the staircase. The three women made their way upstairs with Roy in tow but before they were out of sight, Felicity cast one more glance at Mr. Queen. She smiled softly before disappearing up the stairs.</p><p>**</p><p>"What happened?" Digg asked Oliver as soon as the women disappeared.</p><p>"One of the guests was an imposter. He knew about the attack on Felicity's life." </p><p>"Which means someone talked." Digg said, filling in the obvious. “Or someone's a spy." He said, considering the other opinion.</p><p>"Either way, we have a traitor among us." Mr. Queen said coldly.</p><p> </p><p>**</p><p> </p><p>"What information have we collected so far?" The man asked his informants.</p><p>"Felicity Megan Smoak, height 5'3, hair dyed blonde, eye colour blue, twenty nine years old. Child of Donna Smoak, status alive and Alexander Smoak, status deceased. Goddaughter of Anatoly Knyazev, Leader of the Bratva. Currently living in the Queen mansion, bodyguard Roy Harper, friends with Thea Queen, Sara Lance, Tommy Merlyn and John Diggle. Possible infatuation with Bratva Captain Oliver Queen. Has had previous sexual relations with Nikolai Kynazev, nephew of Anatoly Kynazev. Has a 167 IQ, is skilled with technology of all kinds and is excellent at all types of card games. Has been described as head strong and stubborn yet kind and loving."</p><p>"Ah," The man said after his informant was done, as he leaned back in his chair. "You forgot the most important part, her protectiveness and concern for her family, friends and others. She responded quickly to the recording we placed under the dock at the Queen mansion. She believed someone was in danger and left the safety of the mansion to investigate. We can use this to our advantage. If we can draw her out and away from the house, we can eliminate her." The man slammed his fist against his desk.</p><p>"Then her fathers section of the Bratva will be left without a possible heir and it will be ripe for the taking. And that will begin our demolition of the Bratva from within." The man added, a sick smile sliding across his face.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Next!</strong>
</p><p>- Olicity!</p><p>- Sharing a bed trope!</p><p>- Hurt/Comfort!</p><p>- Sexual tension!</p><p>- Seriously, it's basically just Olicity</p><p>- I mean, there is like one background character and Thea and that's it</p><p>- Total Olicity, all the time, all day, every day</p>
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